


Chasing Magic

by enchantedbeauty



Category: Fairy Tail, Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Desna1, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Multi, Pradeshverse, Urban Fantasy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-05
Updated: 2019-09-19
Packaged: 2019-10-04 13:06:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 73,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17305166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enchantedbeauty/pseuds/enchantedbeauty
Summary: Not long after Ares created the first Dragon Slayers, he became bored of them. Hestia went to the Heartfilias, guardians of the stars, and made a pact with them to protect and guide the dragon slayers in exchange for prosperity. Four hundred years later, Lucy is the last Heartfilia. Fearing what would happen if there were no more Heartfilias, Lucy is shielded from tir-na-nog. Until a job offer sends her to Pelerno, the center of tir-na-nog.





	1. Prologue

“Arman Pradesh,” the man answered almost absently as he continued to look through a file on his computer.

“Arman, it's Jude Heartfilia.”

Suddenly the voice on the phone had his undivided attention. Arman flagged for his assistant to shut his door.

“What happened?” There was only one reason Jude would call Arman: Lucy. The two men hadn't spoken in person since Layla and her unborn son’s funeral. The last time Arman had reached out to Jude was to hide Bickslow.

“She was offered a job in the city.”

“Is it one she applied for?”

“She isn't certain. She graduated last month and sent out a lot of resumes. Laxus called and said she admitted to not thinking she sent any resumes there.”

“I know Laxus is here but-”

“Gajeel is there. Works in law enforcement. Natsu is moving with Lucy.”

“I forgot about that boy. She'll keep a tight leash on him?”

“She usually does.” The man sighed. “I don’t want her there, but I couldn’t come up with a rational reason for her not to take the job. The benefits they offered were simply too good.”

Arman glanced at one of the photos on his shelf. It was of three squirming toddlers and had taken Ganier and Layla nearly an hour to get a decent one. Besides her pink dress, her golden-blonde hair stood out compared to his sons’ dark hair. His children accepted his answer that she was simply the daughter of an old friend of Ganier’s and that the memory behind the photo still amused him.

“Does she remember the boys?”

“Not entirely. We saw the report when you found Zen- congratulations by the way-, but it never rang any bells except one. For about two weeks she’d get sugar cookies, eat one, then throw them out. Said they didn’t taste right.”

Arman inhaled sharply, remembering his wife’s secret cookie recipe.

“Does she not know? She’s twenty-two.”

“Natsu, Laxus, and Gajeel were technically her mother’s dragons. Lucy was too young to take on Wendy. Weisslogia and Skiadrum reached out but neither of their boys _needed_ Lucy.”

Arman sighed. Knowing Jude, he probably paid them off or convinced them some other way not to involve Lucy. “I’ll see what I can do,” Arman said softly.

“Thank you,” Jude said before hanging up.

It had been over ten years since he last saw Lucy. Tucked away in a box at home were photos of her and Farron. Even a few of Kaleb, from shortly after Kaleb had been adopted. He’d added the few Bickslow sent growing up as friends with Laxus.

After Farron had asked why they hadn’t gone to see Lucy, he’d taken to hiding pictures of her. Hoping, like Jude had, that they’d forget. In time, they did.

Before dying, Layla demanded that Lucy be shielded from tir-na-nog. She was the last Heartfilia.  


	2. A new city

“Hi, Dad,” Lucy said, propping the phone on her shoulder as she pulled out a box cutter.

If she’d let her, Virgo would’ve opened everything and put it away, but that was denying herself a quintessential aspect of moving into her first apartment. Of course, she’d hoped to have a cute neighbor seeing her struggle with the boxes and come help her thus starting a grand romance. Those fantasies didn’t include her admittedly attractive best friend and roommate. Or her spirit that could pass as Natsu’s sister. And their ability to carry twice their weight.

“Hi, Sweetie. Did you get in all right?”

“Yeah. We got in late and passed out immediately.”

“How’d Natsu fare?”

“Fine.”

“You drugged him, didn’t you?”

“Are you accusing me of drugging my best friend with Dramamine?” Lucy’s voice mocked offence and she even put her hand over her heart as if he could see the gesture.

“You did, didn’t you?”

“Of course, I did. I wasn’t going to listen to him gag for eight hours. Knocked Happy out too.” She paused to wonder which of the boxes had her handful of spell books.

“How’s the apartment? Is the furniture to your liking?”

Lucy glanced around the apartment. She hadn’t gotten the opportunity to see it before moving in and remembered her and Natsu gawking when they’d stumbled in a little after midnight. She’d gotten to pick furniture sets for the rooms out of a catalogue but that was most warning she had.

It was a two-story luxury apartment with open sight lines from the kitchen, through the living room, and to the balcony. A spiral staircase led to the second floor with two bedrooms. The master had been predesignated to Lucy.

“It’s a bit much,” she said. The apartment was too extravagant for them to pass off as being able to afford on hers and Natsu’s combined salaries.

“No such thing. You’re a Heartfilia.”

Lucy rolled her eyes. “Dad, I need to find something, and I can’t juggle the phone too. Can I call you back?”

“Aren’t you having dinner with Levy and Gajeel tonight?”

“Yes. And Gajeel’s birthday present is in one of these boxes.”

“All right. Be safe. Love you.”

“Love you too, Dad.” Lucy hung up and glared at the boxes. She wished one of her spirits had x-ray vision. Or that Natsu’s job transfer wasn’t so seamless that he’d already moved into a new fire station and was there to help.

.~*~.

Ishgar was one country. In theory. That didn’t stop the individual states from acting as if they were separate from the whole. While some, like Caelum, were significantly more separate than others.

Pergrande, the neighbor to the north, liked to say they won their independence. Ishgans usually argued that they were expelled. Really, it was somewhere in the middle. Fighting them was deemed ‘not worth it.’ Yet, a lot of fighting had happened between the two countries since then.

.~*~.

Farron walked into his father’s office. He was sighing as he looked over the pictures that he’d dumped out of a box.

“That’s Lucy, isn’t it?”

“I thought you might’ve remembered her.” Arman didn’t look up at his son. Instead, he continued looking for the most recent one of her, Bickslow, and Laxus.

Farron nodded. “Not sure Zen does. Kaleb and I knew you were hoping we’d forget so we just stopped talking about her. Of course, Bix returning home, pining over his best friend’s little sister-”

“Did you tell him?”

“He’s a bit of a blabber mouth.”

“She’s in Pelerno. She doesn’t know anything about tir-na-nog or White Sea and Jude wants it to stay that way.”

“You can’t keep her oblivious forever.”

“I know. Her mother, and yours, used to tell you a bedtime story about a lost princess. In the story, the princess would get lost and grow up. Without her, the kingdom fell to ruin. However, because she had not gotten her crown like she was supposed to, she had to go on a quest to find her crown.

“I think it’s an allegory. Her mother didn’t have the chance to guide her into her role, so she’s going to have to find her own way there.”

“Are you saying that you think it’s time for there to be a queen again?” Farron asked with a hint of frown.

“Not at all. A Heartfilia hasn’t been queen in hundreds of years. But she needs to find her own way home. And on the way, I want you to make sure she doesn’t run into any trouble.”

“Doesn’t she have the twelve zodiac to protect her?”

“Yes, but you’ll find that Heartfilias have a knack for getting into trouble. For instance, your mother, Minda, and Layla went out to a night club as a girls’ night. A man starts dancing with them. Minda and Layla are single, so they don’t mind. Layla never carried more than three keys on her at a given time. Their magical signature is too unique.

“Anyways, they show up at the house, bruised up and _far_ too pleased with themselves. Not sure if the man knew what they were or just saw gold but either way he tried pickpocketing her and running off. They chased him down just as he reached his friends and got into a tussle over the keys. These men probably weren’t expecting the three women to get the upper hand.” The two men chuckled then Arman’s voice became almost pensive.

“It was also how Layla met Makarov, Laxus’s grandfather. He was passing by. I think she must’ve sensed the dormant magic in him because Layla rarely gave people her full name.”

He picked up one of the more recent photos. “She looks like her mother.”

“Bix would do a better job protecting her. And she’s around dragon slayers.”

“I know. Like I said, Heartfilias have a knack for finding trouble. What I wanted you to do was see what you can dig up about Moonstruck Publications.”

“Are you asking as an official of the government or an ambassador?”

“Ambassador.” Ambassador was a title he held within the tir-na-nog signifying him as a leader.

“I’ll see what I can find out at the shop.”

“You really need to come up with a new nickname for a Fortune 500 tech company.”

“You say that every time,” Farron replied dismissively. “What I really need is Kaleb to get out of the research lab and to visit a bathhouse or something. Particularly before he get cranky at the interviewer again.”

“Full moon’s coming. I’ll tell Vander to trade places with him for Cris duty.”

“That’ll do. Thanks.”

.~*~.

“Your late,” Lucy said when she heard the door open. She was laying on a couch reading with Happy on her stomach.

“Orientation ran long.”

“When do you start proper shifts?”

“Next week.”

“So, I have a week to find a hot boyfriend so that I won’t be stuck in this ridiculously large apartment alone.”

“What am I? Chopped liver? Natsu, Lushy’s being mean,” Happy whined. He then flew into Natsu’s head. “Don’t leave me. You know how she is when she has a boyfriend. She’ll feed canned fish.”

“I’ll feed you canned cat food.”

“See! I’ll die of starvation,” Happy whined.

“You won’t die in one day. Fire fighter shifts are one day on, two days off.”

“I’m gonna die!” Happy wailed, ignoring her.

“Natsu, hurry up and change or I’ll let Levy seal you in your room with that bacon perfume.” Last time she did that, he tried eating his pillow in his sleep.

“I’m going.”

Happy fluttered over to the massive cat apartment and curled up with his dragon stuffed animal. “Guess it’s just the two of us. They’re being mean.”

 

“Happy birthday from Lucy and Natsu. Ya know, people are gonna start thinkin’ y’all are a couple if you keep letting him add his name to cards and shit,” Gajeel said as he unwrapped his present. They were in a pizza buffet where the two men could gorge themselves.

“Yeah, until they spend ten minutes with us,” she commented sarcastically.

“I don’t know,” Levy said, propping her head up in her hand. “You two could be cute together.”

Natsu and Lucy looked at each other before bursting out laughing. They were interrupted by a moan that should never be heard in public.

“Nope. Didn’t need to know what Gajeel’s o-face looked like,” Natsu said covering his eyes.

“This is Sheffield silver.” Gajeel bit off one of the fork prongs. “Oh man. Where did you find this?”

“An estate sale with Emery. She was looking for something for her mom.

“And don’t forget they’re rare and usually stay within a family,” she added as he finished eating the fork and was reaching for another.

He sighed and closed the box. “Fine. You’re right.”

The food was mediocre, but the company was nice. Until the men decided on an eating contest resulting in Lucy and Levy dragging them out before they could get kicked out.

They moved onto a karaoke bar. Going to one where they rented a private room by themselves probably would’ve been kinder to the population at large, but they didn’t. Nope, everyone needed to suffer.

“Oh gods, there’s two of them,” Lucy said when another man with green hair and black tribal tattoos took the microphone and started crooning.

“I’m not drunk enough for this,” Natsu said, standing up.

“Grab me-”

“-Something strong, sweet, and preferably strawberry-flavored. I know.”

“Still think you two would be sweet together,” Levy said.

“Keep talking like that and I’ll trick Gajeel into buying you an ugly engagement ring.” Lucy had a pained expression as she watched the green haired man but there was also a hint of bemusement.

“What is it?”

“He reminds me of Laxus,” she said.

Levy arched a blue eyebrow at that but glanced back at the singer. “Oh,” she murmured before pulling out her phone and texting the two men.

Lucy took the glass but didn’t notice Natsu reading the message.

‘He’s a lightning mage.’

Natsu’s eyes widened as he studied the man.

‘Is this a tir-nog bar?’

‘Not strictly. We need to go. He’s probably not alone.’

“I’m gonna go say hi,” Lucy said, standing up as the DJ called Gajeel’s name with obvious displeasure.

“Stranger danger, Luce.”

“But a stranger can only become a friend if someone says hi.”

“I’m getting tired. Let’s finish his song and head out. I have to be at school pretty early tomorrow,” Levy said.

“All right. Fine.”

Gajeel tried to complain but Lucy was certain that Levy kicked him under the table. As they were walking out, Lucy bumped a beautiful woman white-blonde hair and bright blue eyes.

“Sorry,” she mumbled.

 

“You’re silent. Not that I mind but it usually makes me suspicious,” Natsu said as they continued unpacking boxes.

Lucy threw a ball of packing paper at him before saying, “Levy got tired early. Oo! I wonder if she’s pregnant.”

“Oh. Speaking of. Mavis sent me this.” Natsu showed her the picture of a grumpy August holding an even grumpier Larcade.

Lucy snorted. “Neither of his kids look like him.”

“I tell him that too. They’re lucky because Mavis is prettier.”

“How is Zeref?”

“Still working to be emperor-elect. You know, his whole ‘world domination’ plan that he’s had since we were ten.”

Natsu came from Alvarez. His father, also a dragon slayer, brought Natsu to Lucy’s mother as soon as he’d come into his powers. Zeref and Igneel would spend summers at the estate. Even after her mother’s death, Jude never forced the three boys that sporadically lived there to leave.

Lucy and Zeref always got along. Both of them preferring books to the dragons’ rough housing. A few rounds of Risk when they were all together usually led him to asking her and Mavis to team up to help him take over the world.

“They're Pinky and The Brain. Yes, Pinky and The Brain. One is a genius. The other's insane,” Lucy sang softly.

“Oi!” He threw the ball of paper at her. She’d been singing that about the two brothers since they were kids and her mother had to hide her laughter.

“So, what were you thinking about really?”

“The green haired guy from the bar.”

“Hm… So that’s your type? It’s not mine but I guess I could see the appeal.”

“Psh. You don’t have a type.”

Dragon slayers were pansexual since their mates could be any gender. According to the lore, when Ares made the dragon slayers, he gave them mates as a sign of affection towards Aphrodite. Hestia later strengthened the urge to mate as almost a distraction from the warrior impulse before going to the Heartfilias to protect and guide them.

Levy and Gajeel had met the first day of college. He was in the police academy while also working as campus police. The moment they met, Gajeel knew she was his mate and awkwardly tried to ask her out before finding out her name, but it ended up sounding like he was proposing. Jude had not been amused when he found out Lucy missed the second and third days trying to do damage control because of a panicked call from the usually stoic dragon slayer.

“I have a type. Hot.”

Lucy snorted. “Was that supposed to sound cool?”

“No. Hot. Duh.”

“All right, Hot Stuff. Go to bed because if you wake me up scrambling to get out the door again, I’ll kill you.”

“Then you’d have to take care of Happy all by yourself.”

Her brown eyes glanced between Natsu and Happy. “Good point.”

“Ha!”

“You’re so mean to me!” Happy cried out before closing the curtain on the top cubby of the cat tree.

Lucy was spacing as she pulled out a photo album that she’d forgotten she had when Leo appeared.

“Princess, you should get to bed too,” he said softly but that didn’t stop her from jumping.

“Damnit, Leo. Don’t do that.”

“Sorry. But you should go to bed. You have your first day tomorrow.”

“Shit…” She got up and stretched her arms over her head. “Hey! Watch the eyes,” she scolded when she saw where his gaze had gone.

“Sorry.”

“No, you’re not. And thanks for reminding me.”

Leo watched her go up the stairs then glanced down at the photo album. He picked it up and flipped through it, recognizing the photos of the Pradesh boys.

“Not time yet,” he murmured, returning to the celestial realm with the book.


	3. Just a Preview

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a full chapter... That kind of just occurred to me...

Lucy’s new boss made her want to take a shower. And buy a new wardrobe of nun worthy, conservative clothing. Something that could be a bit tricky in Bosco.

It amazed her, as she rode the train home, how different states could be. Bosco was more water than land. It reminded her of a bit of Venice. Bridges connected the islands to the mainland with the monorail being the main source of transport.

The Grass Sea was 75 degrees year-round and kept the state warm as well. It was only along the borders with Fiore or Seven or up in the mountains that the state felt a chill. As such, the clothing leaned towards looser and thinner material.

Ishgar had few federal laws. Most of them involving crimes across state borders. It’s how Bosco, and to an extent Minstrel, were allowed to have bathhouses with attendants that provided sexual release. Bosco went as far as creating the Sudahpah Order that helped teach how to have healthy sex lives and share pleasure.

Before accepting the job, her father had ranted about how immoral Boscans were. Then became flustered when Lucy reminded him that her mother was Boscan.

When she’d first met Bickslow, Laxus’s best friend, he’d shocked her. He was fifteen and had gone through his induction already. Fiore had been an unpleasant culture shock for him. His flirting had flustered her, and she wasn’t naïve enough not to know that it had been Laxus that put a stop to that.

That weekend, when Levy and she were both off but their men working, they were going to go exploring. What that usually meant was that they’d go bookshop hopping. Something they never did with Natsu and Gajeel since they’d start fighting out of boredom.

Maybe, on her own time, she’d visit a Boscan bathhouse. Or maybe with Natsu. But that would depend on what gender he was in the mood for. She hated competing with him. The last time, he’d sulked for two days when she won. And that was in Fiore where people leaned one way or another.

She was walking from the train station to her apartment when she heard a melodious voice singing out of a bar. It was strange because she recognized the lyrics as a drinking song, but the woman made it sound like it was a classical masterpiece. Suddenly, she was incredibly thirsty and went to enter the bar only for a man to bump her as he passed.

He mumbled an apology but kept walking with his head down as if he was texting. She glanced back, taking in his form. What looked like black leather left little to the imagination. She was half tempted to take a picture of his ass to show Natsu later.

 _Male ass goals_ , she thought before blushing and half-running home. She didn’t see the man slow to a stop and smirk.

‘Was that necessary?’ the text on his phone said.

‘It was if you didn’t want her caught under Mira’s spell,’ he wrote back. He smirked. Farron asking him to follow Lucy was probably the best favor he’d asked for.

.~*~.

Kaleb walked into Farron’s office and saw his brother’s scowl. It was a distinct scowl. One Kaleb had taken to calling ‘The Oz Pinhead Scowl’ in his head.

Oz_Pinhead was the handle of a hacker that seemed to have made a hobby of irritating his brother. Most of the time, he was more helpful than not. Occasionally even amused Farron. Especially a few times when they’d start talking literature or music.

“I’m guessing Oz is annoying you?” Kaleb asked.

“You’re the software designer. Create something that can get through his damn codes.”

“So, he’s not annoying you but one of his more _legal_ ventures is?”

“Yes. I’m trying to get through Moonstruck Publications’ firewall and it screams Oz.”

Kaleb sat down at the seat on the other side of Farron’s desk. It didn’t bother him that he couldn’t see who he was talking to with the three computers. “You could ask him for the back door.”

Farron leaned over so that he could arch an eyebrow at Kaleb. “I’m not that desperate yet. Though, ask Bix if Freed’s available.”

“Not your assistant.”

“Can I borrow Thane?”

“No. Just because yours spend more time trying to get in your pants-”

“I know. If things weren’t so awkward with Freed, I’d hire him.”

“I tried warning you. What about Hibiki from Blue Pegasus? He’s a decent archive mage.”

“And he prefers women so that’s a thought.” His tone had become more absentminded as he went back to trying to get through Oz’s code.

Mare Bianco Technologies was the largest technology firm in Ishgar. They strictly hired mages which allowed people whose magic didn’t come with an obvious occupation a place to work but also a place to use magic without the concern of exposure. There were even basement levels to allow for training or just play.

Originally, Kaleb dealt with the research and development while Farron dealt with the public face. Over the years, Kaleb had gotten better at that as well as the fact that they could hire assistants. Farron still worked on the legal side but spent more of his time working on projects involving tir-na-nog. Usually making sure the population at large didn’t know about them.

“I heard you asked Van for a favor.” Kaleb stayed out of his family’s minds unless he felt them push or pull against the link that he had with them.

“Lucy’s in Pelerno. She’s why I’m trying to hack into Moonstruck Publications. Jude called Dad concerned that there was something… _nefarious_ happening.”

“Is there?”

“Don’t know. The higher ups all use the same firewall.”

“So, Van is shadowing Lucy. What about Laxus and Bix?”

“They have plans later. What I can’t figure out is why the hell they need this level of encryption. I could understand if they had more prestigious authors but they’re a small press. Only a few years old.”

“Hm… How old exactly?”

“Um…” Farron shifted to another screen that was where he compiled the public information. “Two years. Why?”

“Two years of associate’s gen. ed. courses. She would’ve officially declared her major two years ago.”

“That could be a coincidence. They made it big with Kamu Zeleon’s last book before he died in that car accident.”

“Maybe,” Kaleb acknowledged then stood. “I’ll see what I can do about the software.”

“Thanks.”

Farron was still muttering under his breath as Kaleb left. They’d never seriously tried to find Oz because he did good work as far as deleting information about tir-na-nog before it became widespread. Sometimes, he thought about trying just because of how easily the man wound Farron up.

Kaleb sat at his desk. He had a similar set up as Farron as well as a second office meant for interviews. First, he pulled up Lucy’s online presence.

He remembered her as a child. She’d stood between Natsu and her father, holding their hands at her mother’s funeral. Arman led them away after paying their final respects to Layla. That was the last time they’d seen her.

The two boys knew that Jude and Layla had wanted Lucy protected from tir-na-nog but were too young to understand why. He knew when his father adopted Cristoff and Emzadi that he got frustrated about not calling Lucy.

Especially after Emzadi’s failed mating attempts with Riker and Shinro. With Riker, Arman had called Jude, but the man argued that Lucy was too young to take on a dragon yet. The call had gotten so heated that most of the house heard Arman arguing.

He opened her Instagram first. It was filled with pictures of her and her friends. More than a few silly ones with Bickslow. A few attempts at embarrassing Laxus who was usually scowling at the camera. He liked that most of her photos weren’t of her alone. Most featured her with her friends. Kaleb sent one of her and Bickslow sticking their tongues out while waiting for green face masks to dry and the caption ‘We’re gonna be so pretty’ to his father.

The most were of her with a pink-haired man. Enough that he’d suspect a relationship except for the joking reactions to others wondering that. They hung each other out to dry a lot. Nearly all the ones of just her were from Natsu featuring food that he was complaining about her not sharing.

Twitter was filled with quotes or funny anecdotes. The most recent was a quote from a song by Blackbriar: “I’ll show I am capable of causing such pain with my delicate and fragile lady brain.”

A story that he was going to have to save for later was Laxus hitting on a girl by calling himself Apollo, only for the girl to say ‘If you’re Apollo, then I’m Daphne’ before walking away. Laxus hadn’t gotten it but Lucy had. It took her a few minutes to stop laughing so she could explain it to him.

Bickslow and Vander were probably the top of the list of people that Laxus wouldn’t want to know that story.

_Fare, maybe I should meet up with her._

_Why?_

_I’ve changed the most._

Farron’s hair had lightened to blond as he aged but Kaleb’s immersion in the Immaculate Light bleached his hair and lightened his skin tone and his dark purple eyes to lavender.

_She doesn’t know Van at all._

Kaleb sent Farron a current Instagram picture of Lucy poolside with Laxus and Bickslow and heard his mental choke. As preteen boys, they’d both had crushes on her mother. As men, they both found Lucy more appealing. She was curvy, fit, and comfortable in her own skin.

_You really want to give Van more of an excuse to be around her?_

_Not really. No._

 

Farron was still trying to get through the code when he realized that it was rewriting behind him. He was still working when the new code stopped and there was a beep of a message.

**Oz_Pinhead: You’re annoyed, aren’t you? Wouldn’t want those creases to become permanent.**

**Odysseus: How do you know how I look?**

Farron rubbed his forehead, trying to smooth out any creases.

**Oz_Pinhead: Hacked your cameras.**

Farron immediately moved to his third computer and was looking for Oz in his security systems.

**Oz_Pinhead: I’m kidding. That would be too easy for you to back-hack me.**

As he chuckled, grateful that Oz hadn’t made such an amateurish mistake. He knew that has sisters would probably argue that he had an infatuation with the hacker. Having their games end so soon would’ve been disappointing.

**Odysseus: Why haven’t you?**

**Oz_Pinhead: I like the mystery of not knowing who you are.**

**Oz_Pinhead: On to business, why are you trying to hack Cerberus?**

**Odysseus: How’d you know?**

**Oz_Pinhead: It’s part of my code. If you get past the fourth gate, it alerts me, so I can deal with it manually. I didn’t recognize your style at first.**

**Odysseus: Do you know who it is? The owner of this specific system.**

**Oz_Pinhead: Just numbers on a screen. The backdoor is Beethoven’s 5 th, fourth movement. You have an hour before I rewrite it and kick you out. **

**Odysseus: Why? Why are you helping?**

**Oz_Pinhead: Because you wouldn’t hack a civilian computer without a good reason.**

Farron leaned back in his chair, surprised that Oz had such faith in him.

**Oz_Pinhead: 59:30**

Sometimes though, he sincerely wondered if Oz really had hacked his cameras.

.~*~.

Lucy wasn’t surprised when Levy showed up accompanied by Freed. The chocolate croissants and coffee were amazing though.

“Holy shit,” Freed and Levy both breathed as they looked around the apartment.

“Your dad does nothing small, does he?” Levy commented.

“You should no the answer to that. Remember my eighteenth birthday?”

Levy snickered. “I remember you getting in trouble when he found out you changed the destination from Minstrel to Bosco.”

Lucy snickered. “Oh yeah.”

It had been during one of his ‘learn the value of a dollar’ kicks so instead of buying the tickets and hotel room himself like he usually did, he’d told her she’d have to make it work with $1,000. They’d been on Bathsheba a day before her father found out and called her fuming mad.

“I’m surprised you’ve finished unpacking,” Freed mused, already browsing her bookshelf. She didn’t think there was anything new for him to find.

“Actually, Virgo got annoyed with the mess and everything was put away when I got home yesterday.”

“Well, hurry up and finish eating.” Levy was bouncing on the balls of her feet.

“What’s got you so excited?”

“Eloise Knaggs is doing a reading.”

“You’re telling me now?” Lucy finished the croissant in two bites and cringed when some coffee splashed on her hand as she gestures them out the door before remembering to grab her purse.

They got to the bookstore too late to grab a seat but early enough to hear the reading. Eloise Knaggs’ new book was about a girl going to her mother’s hometown and finding out she was fey. Not only that, but all human magic existed through her.

Lucy had already bought it when the book first came out but was planning on buying a second to get signed. Levy and she had read it that first night then argued over the best ship in the story.

The two women got in line with their newly acquired books to get signed while Freed wandered around to see if he found anything interesting.

“Oh. Farron,” Freed said, flushing.

“Hey, Freed. Here for the reading?”

“Yeah.”

“Didn’t peg Eloise Knaggs for being your style.”

“She’s not. I’m here with some friends.” Freed sighed. “I’m sorry.”

“You’ve said,” Farron acknowledged. “It’s in the past.”

Freed had a crush on Laxus for years. The fact that dragon slayers were all pansexual always gave him hope. That was despite Lucy and Bickslow both warning Freed that he wasn’t Laxus’s mate and that Laxus loved him enough not to play with him like that.

Knowing that Laxus had slept with Bickslow while trying to understand that aspect of his sexuality hadn’t helped. Then, Freed decided to tag along to visit Bosco with Laxus and Bickslow and met Farron.

In truth, he hadn’t been ready to move on from Laxus, but he’d accepted Farron’s flirtations. Enjoyed their time together. Even hoped a little that Laxus would get jealous. But when Farron made a move to make it more serious, Freed bolted under the excuse of getting back to school in Minstrel.

“How long are you here for?” Farron asked.

“The summer. The Library of Pelerno has some books I’m using for my dissertation.”

“If you need work, I could use an assistant,” Farron said, surprising himself.

“Really?” Freed’s eyes were wide as they met Farron’s.

“Don’t misunderstood. I’m talking strictly business.”

“Right.”

“Oh, Freed. There you are.” Lucy and Levy carefully made their way through the crowd to join the two men. “Check it out. I was able to get one for Emery too.”

“Doesn’t she prefer more mature romances?”

“Oh, hush you.”

“Lucy, Levy, this is Farron Pradesh, one of Bickslow’s older brothers.”

Lucy turned to Farron. Her eyes widened, and she immediately flushed. “Um hi,” she greeted and held out her hand for him to shake.

When she looked at his hand, she noticed wrist cuff. The featuring design was a triangle with three wavy lines like water. What appeared like a stylized ‘W’ and ‘S’ were above and below the lines. She recognized the magic symbol for water but wondered what the letters meant.

“Nice to meet you.”

Levy didn’t stop gawking until Lucy nudged her. “Right. Hello. Levy McGarden.”

“We’re bookstore hopping if you’d like to join us,” Lucy said.

“Next time. There’s a bookstore on 12th Street and Strand Avenue that you should stop by.”

Lucy smiled. “Thanks.”

She met his eyes. Something about those baby blue eyes were so familiar and she glanced back for a moment with a hint of confusion as they left. Though, it wouldn’t be until much later that she’d realize that he hadn’t commented on the fact that no one had given him her last name.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Blackbriar song is "I'd Rather Go to the Stake" but I just always really liked that line.


	4. The First Mate

“You all right?” Xally asked, leaning over Cristoff. He'd been so exhausted after surgery that he didn't even remember falling asleep in the doctors' lounge.

“Yeah. Nearly lost him on the table. Barely managed to heal him on time.”

Cristoff's healing magic often helped in surgery leading him to have a nearly hundred percent success rate. The hardest thing for the dragon slayer to learn to accept where his magic shouldn't heal. Where some injuries had to be accepted. He wanted to save everyone but part of the key of staying in the shadows was to not illicit rumors.

“What are you still doing here?” Cristoff asked, rolling his shoulders as he sat up.

“I'm meeting Lucy for the first time. I was gonna invite you.”

Cristoff ran his hand through his hair, wondering when he'd pulled it out of the ponytail. Word about Lucy had spread quickly through the family. Especially concerning Arman's desire to keep her from tir-na-nog for as long as possible.

“No. Probably for the best that I don't.”

“What's your thought on the whole ‘don't tell Lucy’ thing?”

“I think the concern is justified. We have a lot of potential for harm without the right guidance.”

Cristoff had one vague memory of Lucy from before he was adopted by Arman. His mother, Nurem, had been a dragon slayer. He’d never known exactly what had happened except that she’d been terrified. His mother brought him to Layla to protect him, but she’d been pregnant, and too worried about the stress on her pregnancy. Nurem had been upset but understood why Layla couldn’t take on another dragon slayer.

Lucy had been tiny, staring at them from the top of a staircase. She’d run to a second floor window and he remembered watching her out the car window as his mother drove away.

It was Layla that directed Nurem to Arman. Over the phone, Layla would help Arman. It would be those phone calls that would help him raise two dragon slayers.

“Yeah. Maybe. Anyways, I’d better get going. Showing up late would give a great impression.”

“You’ll be fine.”

 

Lucy was chatting with Bickslow and Laxus about her first few days when she immediately saw Laxus stiffen and turn in reaction to his mate’s presence.

“Luce, this is Xally, my little sister and Laxus’s potential.”

Lucy took in Xally. She was wearing dress that looked cute but comfortable, her dark hair was pulled back in a simple ponytail, and she wasn’t wearing any makeup but she didn’t really need anything to accentuate her blue eyes. Given that she was coming off a rotation at Pelerno General, Lucy liked that she hadn’t felt the need or inclination to get more gussied up. Screamed confidence despite the nervousness in her eyes.

“You look like a Dolcia Walters ciguapa,” Lucy said. The author’s ciguapa were a bit like succubi but had two forms. The human form was always a beautiful woman with bright blue eyes and black hair.

“Oh. I love her books.”

Xally sat down, ignoring Laxus, in favor of talking the author’s most recent series. It was Bickslow’s cackling at Laxus’s disgruntled face that broke them out of their conversation.

“Okay. Seriously though, how’d he talk you into agreeing to be his mate? Does he have blackmail on you or something? You’re way too smart for his emotionally constipated ass.”

Laxus made an inarticulate grumbling sound while the two siblings laughed because Bickslow had predicted she’d say exactly that.

“He has a really big penis.”

“Nope. Didn’t need to know that. I mean, proportionally speaking, that makes sense but still.”

“I think mine’s longer, but he has more girth…” Bickslow added pensively.

“Didn’t need to know that,” Lucy said in an almost singsong voice.

Xally laughed. “I’d have thought Bix would’ve broken you out of ideas like that.”

“Oh, I’ve been a great influence. Like the time Lucy talked me into having sex in Laxus’s bed after he interfered with one of her relationships.”

“Didn’t happen twice, did it?” Lucy grinned smugly though she knew Laxus had put the fear of Zeus in Bickslow about the two of them ever having sex again. When there was crickets from the two men, the grin dropped. “It happened again, didn’t it?”

“You do have two _other_ overprotective dragons,” Bickslow commented.

She blinked owlishly for a moment before propping her head up on her hand and giving Laxus a silent, angelic smile.

“Nope. You’re on your own,” Bickslow said when Laxus shuddered.

“That’s an awesome tattoo,” Xally said, deciding to give Laxus a reprieve.

“Oh. Thanks. Natsu and I got ones after we graduated. His idea and Dad threw a fit.” The tattoo Xally was looking at was bird in the shape of stars on Lucy’s wrist. “His was supposed to be a dragon but it looks more like a phoenix. Then he went and got another one while away at school. Some weird bird thing on his shoulder. He was drunk and his roommate dared him to get.”

Lucy was smiling fondly at the tattoo and missed Xally mouthing ‘guild?’ at Bickslow who nodded slightly as Lucy lifted her head.

“What about you?”

“Just my clan tattoo. A swan,” Xally said.

“Right. That’s cool. The clans, I mean.”

“It is, I guess. Never really thought about it since it’s just _there_ , you know.”

“I get it.”

“Any guys in your life. Besides the dragons.”

“No. Though, if there was, that would not be a conversation I’d be having in front of them.” Lucy’s glare was mostly directed at Laxus.

“Fair enough.”

The conversation shifted to the basic, getting-to-know-you topics like Xally’s family and her magic. Those subjects worried her until she realized the difference between knowing about magic and knowing about the tir-na-nog. Xally had no doubt that Lucy was a gifted mage, but the tir-na-nog was a world in itself.

“Crap,” Lucy said after they’d been sitting in the café for nearly two hours. “I need to get home before Natsu gets it in his head to cook dinner.”

“Didn’t he get kicked out of student housing for that?” Laxus asked.

“Yup. Well, until Dad threatened with lawyers.”

Lucy hugged and kissed them each on the cheek. “I like her,” she said softly to Laxus, “but you didn’t need my approval.”

“Felt weird not getting it. You’re the Heartfilia.”

She smiled. “To be honest, I’m not sure what that means anymore.”

 

Lucy walked into the apartment where Natsu was stuffing his face at a table covered in plates of food. Her eyes narrowed, and she investigated the kitchen for signs of fire.

“It’s take-out. Jeesh.”

“How’d you pay for take-out currently?”

“The spare credit card.”

“Natsu, that’s for emergencies.”

“This was an emergency. I was hungry and you’d’ve killed me if I tried cooking in the kitchen.”

“You’re paying it back. And cleaning up,” Lucy said as she sat down to eat.

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Don’t ‘yeah, yeah’ me. I have perfumes and I’m not afraid to use them.”

Natsu scowled but also knew that Virgo kept the perfumes she used specifically to get revenge on him in the celestial realm.

“How was Laxus and Bix?”

“Met Laxus’s mate, Xally.”

Natsu froze with his fork lifted halfway. “He found his mate?”

“Yeah. She’s super sweet and smart.”

“I don’t know how smart she can be if she’s willingly mating Laxus.”

“I said something similar,” Lucy said with a laugh. She studied Natsu when she realized that his laugh didn’t sound quite right. “You’ll find them,” Lucy said softly.

“Yeah. Maybe.”

“You will, because one day, I’m getting married and you’re _not_ moving in with us.”

“You’re gonna abandon me with just Natsu?” Happy asked, landing on the back of a chair. “He doesn’t remember my fish like you do. And we’d be broke in a week and homeless.”

“Yeah, probably.”

Happy flew over to Natsu and grabbed him by the lapels. “You have to find your mate and let it be someone as smart as Lucy because otherwise we’re screwed!”

Lucy laughed and continued eating. This was a usual spectacle.

.~*~.

“I’m home and I brought Danishes,” Marinette said as she entered her apartment.

“Yer mum is a goddess among swine,” Rhiannon said as she gratefully accepted the box of baked treats.

“You say that every time,” Marinette yelled as she went into her room to check on her hamster, Tikki, before rejoining Rhiannon in the living room.

In the living room was the large screened computer that Rhiannon usually passed off as a gaming computer. There were even multiple games installed, just in case. While she did most of her initial work outside on a laptop, the smaller pieces of her projects were compiled there.

“How’s the Inferno coming along?” Marinette asked.

“Ye tell me,” Rhiannon said, standing up.

Marinette pulled her blue-black hair back and settled into the comfortable chair.

The Inferno was a joint project between the two women. It was a firewall based on Dante’s Inferno. Between each traditional wall of code were computer games that Rhiannon designed based on the circle. Designing the game codes were taking longer than expected and that was annoying her.

Marinette wasn’t a hacker, she was a gamer. Over the almost two years they’d been roommates, she’d learned some code and served as Rhiannon’s proofreader of sorts. For this project, she was checking the difficulty of the games and whether there were easy ways to crack them.

The two women were unconventional roommates. Rhiannon hadn’t needed a roommate. It had been a month of chats while Rhiannon got baked goods and coffee that led her to offering the spare bedroom. Between working to help keep her parents’ bakery afloat and unpaid internships, Marinette had doubted she’d ever make it out of her parents’ house.

There was a strange sense of normalcy in being twenty-two and having a roommate. Even if it was a bit strange in the Garden District. She’d bought the apartment for its private access to the backyard and had turned it into a little oasis that fed her magic. She’d built trellises and grew jasmine and clematis vines that shielded her from view.

After an hour, Marinette gave up. “If it had been a game, I’d have said it was too hard to be enjoyable. You realize this is almost sadistic, right?”

“It was yer idea.”

“I know. But it’s still sadistic.”

“Ye still blethering wi’ Chat Noir?”

“Yes.”

Chat Noir was the handle of someone that worked for Agreste Fashions. Rhiannon had caught the signature while poking around but so far, Chat had been careful about ever using his accounts on the work system. He was sappy, used bad puns, and Rhiannon quickly realized her plots of seducing him until he was enthralled enough to accidentally give her access to his work computer was never going to happen. So, she pawned the task off to Marinette and was only half-surprised how well they hit it off.

“Be careful,” Rhiannon warned even though she knew it was falling on deaf ears. She regretted asking Marinette to talk to him because they both were falling hard. Sabine’s annoyance at the fact that Marinette was up until three was certainly not helping.

“I know. I know.”

The one relief was that Chat Noir was probably a mage, like Rhiannon and Marinette. Agreste Fashions was a tir-na-nog company. It was their connection to Mare Bianco Technologies that was Rhiannon’s goals.

“I have a new design that I thought suited you,” Marinette said, pulling out her sketchbook and flipping to the latest design.

The dress was a mix of Caelish and Boscan design. The bodice was fitted with a square collar. The skirt was a double layered handkerchief with the top layer being the same fabric while the bottom layer, and sleeves, were made from a translucent chiffon.

“‘Tis beautiful.”

“Thanks. It’ll be perfect for your first date with Odysseus.”

Marinette smiled serenely as if her friend hadn’t started coughing on a Danish in surprise.  

.~*~.

Xally was reading on the couch while Laxus watched television. Her legs were stretched over his lap.

“What is it?” he asked after the tenth time Xally glanced at him over her book.

“Lucy.”

He turned the television off and gave Xally his full attention.

“The way you and Bix talk about her. Just surprised that you never tried anything with her.”

“It would be a bit like you wanting to have sex with Bix.” He kissed her nose when it scrunched up adorably. “I mean, when Bix first moved in with Gramps and me, I spent almost a year at home before going back to the Heartfilia Estate.

“During that time, she hit puberty hard. It was weird for me to see the little girl that was essentially my little sister all of a sudden having boobs. And Bix is drooling.”

“I heard what she said about not needing her approval.”

“Technically, I’m her mother’s dragon, not hers. But it feels like the bond’s shifted. I mean, I’ve known her longer than I knew her mother and all Heartfilias are immune to dragon slayer magic so it’s hard to tell if the times she stopped our magic was because we stopped it, or she did.”

“You ramble like her when you talk about her.”

“She’s a bad influence,” he grumbled.

“I like it,” Xally said, leaning forward to kiss him.

.~*~.

Two men stood on the roof of the building opposite Lucy’s apartment. She hadn’t thought to cast runes to obscure looking into the apartment, so they could see the young woman and man fighting over the remote on the couch.

“What are we waiting for?” one man asked.

“She’s not ready yet.” This man appeared younger than the first but something in his voice sounded ancient.

“We’ve been preparing for over two damned years and you’re saying she isn’t ready?”

“Those are her mother’s dragons. The bonds have transferred, but she has not activated the power for herself. Until she has, we can’t use her.”

“What’s your recommendation then?”

“The sun and moon dragons-”

“The Pradesh ones?” the older man said.

“Yes. Find a way to push her towards them.”

“That’s risky. The family is powerful. There’s still others. Light, shadow, and sky are unbonded. So is earth.”

“Light, shadow, and sky are in Fiore and earth has done a good job of keeping you from finding her. If nothing else, we still have poison.”

“He might be the easiest.”

“Maybe, but didn’t you say that you wanted to keep Oracion Seis out of the way until you were ready?” the younger man asked with an almost amused look at his annoyance.

“Yes.”

“Then tell Porla to find a way to get her with the Pradeshes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, that's Marinette from Miraculous Ladybug. And yes, Adrien will be appearing too.


	5. Remembered

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't more for this to be _this_ long but I couldn't think of a good place to stop.

Vander hated this part of following Lucy. Someone that was part of Moonlight Publishing was a mage. There were runes and magic alarms everywhere. What surprised him the most was that many seemed designed specifically for him. Or someone with similar abilities. The publishing house wasn’t listed as part of tir-na-nog so he couldn’t risk setting them off and then having to answer uncomfortable questions.

The other thing that was bothering him was that he’d been following Lucy for two weeks. That was two weeks that Grandice hadn’t assigned him anywhere. It wasn’t uncommon for his partner, Presca, to join him for lunch so he hadn’t been sent out either. Presca had acknowledged that he was suspicious as well.

At first, he’d thought having him follow the blonde was excessive. Then, Farron was able to get through the information he got from their computers confirming that they were specifically targeting Lucy but not the exact reasons.

There’d been more than a few conversations concerning whether they should tell her everything. Laxus was adamantly against that because it was against Layla’s wishes. To be honest, Vander was waiting for everything to blow up in their faces.

.~*~.

Jose knocked on the door to Lucy’s office. She glanced up from the agent query and pulled on the sweater she’d started keeping on the back of her chair just for when he came by. The man had a constant expression that was somewhere between a sneer and lewd leer.

“Lucy, my dear,” he said. Then, before she could react, one of his shades enveloped her and her head drooped. “Good. When you go for your run tonight, I want you to go to Hyde Park. Understand?”

“Yes,” Lucy murmured.

“Good.” He waved away the shade and watched as Lucy came to.

“Yes?” she asked politely.

“Just checking in. Anything interesting?”

“One, maybe. I was just getting ready to forward it to you.”

“All right. Thank you.”

She frowned at his back as he left and rubbed the back of her neck.

 

Lucy was sprawled on her couch when Natsu decided to sit on her.

“The fuck? Get your fat ass off me,” she demanded, trying to kick him off.

“My ass isn’t big. Your ass is,” Natsu replied, resolutely refusing to move.

“At least my ass looks good. What’s your excuse?”

“Hey! They say that I’ll probably be voted the hottest for this year’s calendar.”

“Well there goes any hope of dating a hot fireman if you’re the best they’ve got.”

“Oi!” he exclaimed, reaching over to tickle her side that was exposed by her sports bra. “Are you going for a run?”

“In a bit. Still too hot for me.”

“There’s a woman at the station. Emzadi. She’s-” He paused, causing Lucy to arch an eyebrow at him. “She’s the solar dragon slayer.”

“Seriously?” She squirmed out from under him so that she could get a better look at him.

“Have you ever thought about taking on a dragon?”

“Wendy’s the only one young enough to need me and Grandeena says she’s doing fine.” Lucy shrugged. “Back to Emzadi.”

“She’s hot. Like damn. And she’s Boscan through and through.”

“So, essentially, she’d eat you alive.”

“Yeah, but damn would be a great way to go.”

“Hear that, Happy? He’d abandon you in exchange for banging a dragon.”

Happy made a suspiciously feline hissing sound and continued to sulk on the top of the tree. He’d been annoyed with Lucy for not giving him as much fish as he wanted.

“I should get going before the sun fully sets.”

“Yeah. Be careful. It’s a full moon. The crazies are out.”

“I’ll have Capricorn with me. And Leo would summon himself if need be. Unless you wanna come.”

“Nope.”

Capricorn was the personal trainer from hell. He’d known many dragon slayers and knew their physical limitations. Even with Lucy, he was strict about pushing herself and had popped in a few times to comment on the fact that she hadn’t gotten back into her training regimen since the move.

Vander was outside on the phone with Kaleb when Lucy came out. While he knew that she went for a run after work, he usually didn’t bother hanging about for it. That she was generally a homebody after six was sad and if he’d been allowed to talk to her, he’d have shown her a good time. Yes, it probably would’ve ended up with them in his bed which was part of the reason he wasn’t allowed to do exactly that.

“Kaleb, remind me to buy Fare a first edition of…something,” Vander said before hanging up on his brother.

He didn’t move out of the shadow as he watched her slow-paced jog. She was wearing tight running shorts and a sports bra that barely suppressed her bust.

 _That’s interesting,_ Vander thought as Lucy turned into Hyde Park.

 _What?_ Kaleb responded.

_Aren’t you supposed to be getting laid?_

Vander was still a bit annoyed that his dad had asked him to let Kaleb take over watching Cristoff’s moon-drunk instead. They were Cristoff’s kin and therefore immune but enjoyed the orgy that took place courtesy of his magic.

_Multi-tasking. What is it?_

_Damn. Must be disappointing._

_Vander!_

_She’s running in Hyde Park._

Hyde Park was on the outskirts of Pelerno. Not unreasonably far from Lucy’s apartment but the jogging path was rocky and hilly. It was also Cristoff’s go-to location since it was close to both his flat and the hospital.

Lucy slowed to a walk on the path. At first, Vander thought that she was taking a breather before she spun around. Her exercise clothing became a black dress with gold trim and the symbol of Leo on her breast.

“Regulus blast!”

The celestial light was enough to knock Vander out of his shallow shadow. She approached him slowly as Leo appeared in a suit behind her.

“You’ve been following me for a while. Who are you?”

“You’ve seen someone following you and you’re just now mentioning it?” Leo squawked.

“Hush. Who are you?”

Vander didn’t immediately answer as he stood up and dusted himself off. He was struggling to decide if her preferred the workout clothes to this outfit. There was a high slit that showed off her leg.

“Well?”

He looked into her brown eyes and felt any lie still at the tip of his tongue.

“Vander Pradesh.”

“That makes you the third Pradesh I’ve met since I’ve been here.”

_“Uncle Arman, you’re here!”_

Lucy jolted back, dropping her star dress. Leo was immediately behind her with his hand on the small of her back to steady her.

“Why are you following me?”

“I was asked to.”

“By?”

“Well…your father called my father. He called my brother and my brother called me.”

That he traced it back to her father was why she believed him. It was entirely something he would do.

“Don’t follow me anymore. I can take care of myself. Now, scram.”

She stormed past him as she pulled her cellphone out of the armband carrier.

“You hired someone to follow me?” Lucy demanded as soon as her father answered.

“Not exactly.”

“Then, how exactly was it?”

“I called an old friend of your mother’s that lives in Pelerno to keep an eye out for you. I didn’t know about him asking someone to follow you.”

“I’d guess his son since man was only a bit older than me. Did I know them?”

She heard her father sigh and the sound of him settling heavily into the cushion of the armchair in the library. “Yes. Arman’s wife died when you were a two. His youngest was thought to have died as well at three. Layla took you Bosco when she’d go help him take care of Farron who was five. When you were five, Arman adopted Kaleb. By that time, your mom also had the three dragons, so they came to Fiore more often then not and you’d all play.

“It would be a couple more years before Arman adopted Cristoff and Bickslow almost back to back. They stayed in Bosco when Arman came with Kaleb and Farron for your mother’s funeral.

“The next time that I heard from Arman was when he needed to find somewhere safe for Bickslow. I got him to Makarov.”

“So, all of Bix’s stories about his family-”

“Yes.”

“Why did Bickslow need to come to Fiore?”

“You know that’s not my story to tell. Are you mad?”

“Yes. I’m not a child. I should’ve been suspicious at how easily you agreed to no more marriage interviews.”

“Lucy-”

“Not now, Dad. I’ll talk to you later.”

Lucy got home and ignored Natsu and Happy in favor of a shower and collapsing in her bed. She didn’t say anything as Natsu and Happy crept into her room and snuggled up to her. Natsu pulled her back into his chest while Happy burrowed between her arm and the pillow she was clutching. Neither of them spoke knowing that she’d tell them later.

.~*~.

_Lucy was chasing after the boys and not happy that she couldn’t keep up. Natsu was only a few months and not that much taller but she refused to accept that being a dragon gave him that much speed._

_She sulked that this wasn’t a weekend that Erza was there. Erza made them play games where she wasn’t tripping over her dress or getting dirty all the time. They’d play hide and go seek, not tag. Or scavenger hunts where her spirits would hide things._

_One of the boys stopped and ran back. She smiled as she looked up into dark purple eyes before scrambling onto his back when he squatted down in front of her._

_“Can’t let my future wife not play,” he said. She could hear the smile in his voice._

_“Can you marry two people?”_

_“I don’t know. Why?”_

_“‘Cause Farron already said we’d marry when we grew up.”_

_There were close enough to the other boys that they heard what she said. Natsu and Gajeel ignored it. On the other hand, Laxus was glaring appraisingly at the two Boscan boys._

_“Weren’t we playing?” Kaleb asked, ignoring both Laxus and Farron._

_“C’mon!” Lucy said excitedly._

_Lucy was curled up between Farron and Kaleb. For once, none of the dragons were infringing. Igneel and Zeref were both visiting for the summer so Natsu was staying in one of the guest houses with them. Gajeel and Laxus were both with family._

_“Daddy says this will be the last time we can sleep like this,” Lucy said. “That your induc-”_

_“Induction,” Farron said softly._

_“Yeah. Why?”_

_Farron sighed and neither spoke until Lucy smacked Kaleb._

_“Stop that,” she whined._

_“Sorry.”_

_“Our induction is part of becoming an adult. I think your dad thinks we’ll be too adult to sleep like this.”_

_“That’s stupid,” Lucy said, petulantly._

_“Careful. Remember the last time Aquarius caught you cursing?” Kaleb teased._

_“You’ll understand why your older,” Farron said._

_“Everyone says that. Momma thinks I should go through the induction. Daddy and Momma fight about it a lot.”_

_Kaleb pulled on Lucy’s cheek and she swatted at hand. She sat up so that she was out of reach of him doing that again._

_“Why doesn’t Daddy want me to do it?”_

_“He’s Fiorian.”_

_Lucy looked pensive. “Will we still be friends?”_

_“Of course,” they both said._

_“Okay.” She curled back up between them._

_“That’s it?” Farron asked._

_“Yup. You’re like my dragons. As long as that doesn’t change, it’s okay.”_

.~*~.

Happy was still curled up in her bed but Natsu had gotten up at some point in the night. She quietly turned off her alarm before it woke the cat and went downstairs where she’d left her laptop. She poured herself a bowl of cereal while it turned on.

Now that she was an adult, she understood what her father’s concerns were. Not that she believed that the two young men would do anything. She suspected that she’d been so upset that they disappeared from her life after her mom died that she’d purposely forgotten them.

They were an easy web search away. CEOs of Mare Bianco Technologies. She’d heard of them by reputation. Both had changed so much that if not for the caption, she didn’t think that she’d have recognized them. Both were beautiful and in a weird way, she was glad that they didn’t grow up together. That they’d missed the awkward phase of her going through puberty.

A phone number that probably would’ve sent through a half-dozen people was right there. She even typed it into her phone but didn’t have the courage to call. What would she say? Hi, we used to be friends, but you abandoned me after my mom died and now I’m-

She dropped her head onto the table. It was like a puzzle at the tips of her fingers. There was no reason for it. The memories resurfacing painted a picture of Arman as this doting uncle who spoiled her rotten. Of playing on the beach with the two boys.

It wasn’t until she realized she had been staring blankly at her computer screen that she accepted that she wanted answers from them.

“Mare Bianco Technologies, how may I direct your call?”

“I would like to speak to one of the Pradesh brothers.”

“And who should I say is trying to reach them?”

She could hear the mixture of an eye roll and sneer in the woman’s voice. The woman was probably thinking that she was another bimbo trying to seduce her rich and attractive bosses.

“Lucy Heartfilia.”

“And do you belong above or below?”

“Below,” Lucy replied, the answer falling from her lips before she could question it.

The sneer wasn’t quite gone but something about her answer made the woman softer when she said that she was placing Lucy on hold.

“Neither are available. Do you want to leave a message?”

“I- No. Thank you.”

.~*~.

**Oz_Pinhead: Did you find what you were looking for?**

Farron jumped a little when the computer chimed with the message.

**Odysseus: Kind of. Confirmation but not reason.**

**Oz_Pinhead: Can’t help you there.**

Farron stared at the screen. He always wondered if Oz was a mage. He suspected as much since he saw signs of archival magic in his code.

**Oz_Pinhead: Do you play video games?**

**Odysseus: Not really, no.**

**Oz_Pinhead: Oh. Never mind.**

**Odysseus: Why?**

**Oz_Pinhead: My roommate made a bet with me and I was hoping you might know some tricks.**

**Odysseus: Nope. Can’t you hack the game?**

**Oz_Pinhead: She’d notice.**

That Oz lived with a woman surprised him and his fingers itched to ask if they we _just_ roommates. Getting jealous over a person he didn’t know was ridiculous.

**Oz_Pinhead: Glenda knows the game too well.**

**Odysseus: Glenda?**

**Oz_Pinhead: She’s obnoxiously bubbly and sweet.**

**Oz_Pinhead: She’s a good roommate though.**

**Odysseus: I’m surprised you need one.**

**Oz_Pinhead: I don’t. I get lonely.**

**Odysseus: Do you belong above or below?**

There’d always been a reason that he never asked. As the seconds ticked, he became concerned that he shouldn’t have said anything. It was nearly a minute before Oz responded.

**Oz_Pinhead: Below.**

**Odysseus: Then there’s always a home for you.**

**Oz_Pinhead: I prefer to see the sun.**

When it had taken him so long to respond, Farron wondered if he had searched for the answer but his second response confirmed that he really was a mage. Tir-na-nog was underground community so the coded response was meant as a way to know another mage. Saying that he preferred the sun meant that he was an Aos Sí or someone that didn’t belong to the tir-na-nog. Those that did were called Sidhé.

**Odysseus: Are you sure?**

**Oz_Pinhead: I’ve known the Fomorians.**

His heart ached as he stared at the words on the screen. The Fomorians were code for any dark mages. And he didn’t know how to respond.

**Oz_Pinhead: How to summarize all myths: Zeus was horny.**

Farron snorted. He hadn’t realized how long he’d been silent until Oz sent the message.

**Odysseus: When he electrocutes you, I’m gonna laugh.**

**Oz_Pinhead: Hasn’t happened yet. I’d be more concerned about him trying to get in my pants.**

**Odysseus: You probably have a point there.**

**Odysseus: I have to get back to work.**

**Odysseus: Some of us work for a living.**

**Oz_Pinhead: I work.**

**Odysseus: You make firewalls.**

**Oz_Pinhead: So do you.**

**Oz_Pinhead: I’m okay on my own. Thank you, though.**

**Odysseus: If you change your mind…**

**Oz_Pinhead: I know where to find you. Mostly.**

The messenger window disappeared.

Farron went back to work on the paperwork for a joint venture with a Milesian company. Milesian was what mages called non-mages.

.~*~.

“Come in,” Lucy said, not looking up from the computer. Porla was out of the office so she wasn’t concerned and assumed it was another co-worker.

“Hello?”

Lucy jolted at the unfamiliar voice and looked at the large man in her doorway. Kaleb’s presence seemed to fill the space. He was much more attractive in person. His charcoal trousers and white button-down with its sleeves rolled up to his elbows showed just how muscular he was.

He felt weirdly nervous under her appraisal. The moment that he’d learned she called, he’d known that she remembered him and Farron. There had never been a time that he’d feared he’d fall short of expectations except in her brown eyes.

“You called?”

“I expected a phone call. Not a visit.”

“I can leave.”

“Will it take over a decade for me to see you again?”

He flinched but knew where she was coming from. Poking around in her mind, he knew that she didn’t know about tir-na-nog. There were hints of lessons, but Layla hadn’t started to go in depth yet when she died.

“Sorry.”

She nodded to the chair on the other side of her desk.

“So, this is interesting. I see you for the first time since my mother’s funeral. Of course, Uncle Arman is having Vander follow me.”

“Technically, that was Farron’s doing.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Why not just talk to me? Or better yet, why’d you leave?”

“Your mother asked Arman not to come back after she died. You didn’t spend time around mages outside of the dragons and your mom wanted to keep it that way.”

“Did you tell Bix not to say anything?”

“He didn’t want to get us in trouble. And you didn’t ask the right questions.”

“I don’t care what the right question. It’s been four years since I went away to school. You and Farron are richest men under thirty in Ishgar. You could have reached out.”

“Why did you call?”

“I don’t know. I woke up and remembered how much I missed you and looked you up. Speaking of which, what happened to your hair?”

“Magic. It’s a long boring story.”

“And you’re being evasive.”

“Yes, I am.”

He reached across the desk to cup her face and she pressed into it. Until he pulled her cheek like she remembered him doing when they were children.

“Ow,” she whined.

“Don’t forget that you’re the last Heartfilia.”

She looked at him with a wide-eyed gaze, finally understanding. They were protecting the Heartfilia, not leaving Lucy.

“It’s good to see you. I missed you,” he said softly before standing. “I’ll let you get back to work. We’ll have to arrange dinner for you to meet everyone.”

“I’d like that.” Before she could stop herself, she added, “I know what your induction means now.”

He stopped in her doorway and turned to smirk at her. It was a panty-dropping, ovaries exploding kind of expression. And she remembered too late that he could hear her brain stutter to a halt like a poorly maintained car engine. And the chuckle confirmed that he had.

_Fuck…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started off with just tir-na-nog. Now I'm going full Irish mythology.


	6. Revelation

Lucy heard the familiar voice long before she saw the bright red hair. The bakery was a recent find near her work and worth the extra fifteen minutes that Capricorn was making her run to compensate for her lunch.

“What do you mean you’re out of strawberry cake?” She wasn’t yelling but her voice carried. That she wasn’t yelling was what was scary about her. The man behind the counter definitely seemed to be shaking.

“Erza?” Lucy questioned though she was certain who she was speaking to.

The redhead turned at her name being said. Her eyes glanced over Lucy before widening.

“Lucy?” Erza said, before pulling Lucy into an embrace where her face was smushed into Erza’s cleavage.

“Can’t breathe.”

“Sorry.” She let go and smiled at Lucy. “What are you doing in Pelerno?”

“I could say the same to you. I got a job offer here. What about you? I thought you were in Magnolia.”

“A visiting professor from U. Pelerno asked me to come up as his teaching assistant while I worked on my master’s degree. Mom always say, never waste an opportunity.”

“Good advice.”

Erza scowled at the man behind the counter. “Since I apparently need to go somewhere else for lunch, would you like to go out with a few friends and I tonight? We do a girls’ night to a local nightclub.”

“Um…sure. Can I invite a friend?”

“As long as it isn’t Natsu. I know his hair is pink, but he’s got dangly bits.”

“No. My friend, Levy. Female.”

“Oh. All right. The more, the merrier.”

“Thanks.”

“We’ll meet at your place. Heorot isn’t the easiest place to find on your own.”

Lucy nodded and gave Erza her address. The redhead left with a final glare at the baker.

The man behind the counter seemed to be of the belief that Lucy had just saved his life. After Erza left, he added a few cookies that she was certain Capricorn would make her pay for in her run later. However, they were chocolate chip and worth it.

 

It didn’t surprise Lucy that much that Levy didn’t want to go to the nightclub. Except she’d learned not to assume that. Of course, last time they’d gone to a nightclub together, it was because Levy and Gajeel got into a fight and she wanted to make him jealous.

“When is Emery supposed to get here?” Natsu asked from Lucy’s bed.

“Thursday. You’re still able to get her, right?”

“Yeah.”

“What do you think?” Lucy was wearing a short, red dress that fit like a second skin but was made from a flexible fabric.

“Hair down.”

“I was gonna summon Cancer. I meant the dress.”

“It’s your ‘I wanna dance’ dress,” Natsu said with a shrug. “I like it because it’s red and you can move in it.”

She smiled. “Thanks.”

“I thought you were looking for a boyfriend? Shouldn’t you wear the black and pink one for that?”

“No. I’m more interested in dancing tonight.” Her smile as she glanced at him out of the mirror turned mischievous. “Are you and Happy going to hide from Erza?”

“Aye!”

While Lucy hadn’t seen Erza in a few years, Natsu had taken Happy with him when he moved to Magnolia for college. Lucy had thought she’d seen her briefly when they’d gone to his graduation. He’d stayed in Magnolia until she told him about moving to Pelerno and he announced that he wanted to join as well.

Natsu left while Lucy summoned Cancer to do her hair and make-up. She carried her heels downstairs with her when she heard the doorbell.

“This is Cana and Mira,” Erza introduced, letting herself into Lucy’s apartment.

“Wow,” Cana said, ignoring Erza and Lucy. “This pad is sweet.”

“My dad picked it out.”

“Can your dad adopt me?”

“Cana,” Mira said in an exasperated tone. “I’m pretty sure I just heard Gildarts’ heart break.”

“You’re Fiorian,” Lucy said, finally finding her voice.

“Oh. Yeah. We spend the summers in Bosco for a White Sea Liaison program,” Mira said with a smile.

“Do I need to change?” Lucy asked.

Mira was wearing black shorts with a pink shirt that exposed her midriff and cleavage but was long in the back. Cana was wearing capris and what looked suspiciously like a blue bra. Erza was the most conservative in blue leggings with lace along the sides paired with a white and blue lace tank top except over her bust.

“No. We just prefer to wear pants. It’s hard to know what to expect from Heorot.”

“Well, give me a sec to grab a different pair of shoes then we can go.”

“All right.”

.~*~.

“You’re taking forever,” Emzadi whined as she waited with Hestor and Vander for Zen.

He walked out of his room wearing low slung pants and a glare. Zen still periodically went through phases where clothes felt uncomfortable and when he could get away with it, would lay around his apartment naked.

“Was that so difficult?” she asked.

“I need a shirt.”

“Not really,” Hestor said. “It’s Heorot. Most people end up half-naked anyways. Is Kaleb going too?”

“Yeah, but he’s going straight from the office.”

“Aren’t you supposed to still be babysitting?” Zen asked looking at Vander.

“You know, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say he was trying to come up with an excuse to get out of this,” Vander said.

“I think you’re right,” Hestor said.

“Shut up, Thing One and Thing Two,” Zen groused.

The three men had been friends since Zen had been rescued from Pergrande. The shadowquip had been the first sibling Zen met when Vander appeared in his cage and grabbed him without a word.

Hestor was the first celestial mage to feel the draw that Zen’s magic had on him. He’d never hidden that he’d initially considered claiming the archangel against his will. That it was one of the Brothers of Ma’at that snapped him out of the pull that Kek-t was encouraging.

It would take time for them to create the bands that Zen wore to protect himself from the compulsion of his magic. The two men were comfortable sitting in silence, something that Zen found he valued more than he thought possible after a lifetime of the noise of the pits. Vander was a chatterbox and Zen found it amusing when Hestor would deliberately use mono-syllables to irritate Vander.

“I hate you both.”

“No, you don’t. Come on,” Vander said.

He grudgingly allowed himself to be led out of the apartment. If Vander didn’t just Void jump him against his will, Emzadi would physically haul him. That was why the two men brought her with them.

Heorot was a tir-na-nog nightclub. The entrance was in an alleyway next to another club so that no one noticed the dressed-up patrons. Once it reached capacity, the alley warded itself to not allow anymore mages to enter unless with a specially warded pass.

It was Farron’s night to DJ and the club was packed. His siblings always made a point of going those nights. The music was great, and Vander usually managed to talk at least two of his siblings into a competition to see who would share pleasure with the most people.

Vander and Emzadi immediately went to dance while Hestor and Zen went to the VIP section that was always secured for them. Cristoff was already there with a woman straddling his lap. The Boscan cypress leaf tattoo on her shoulder blade kept them from stepping away. Not that she ever pulled her lips from his to notice their presence anyways. While there were privacy booths, most in VIP didn’t bother with them. The VIP sections had curtains and the same privacy runes.

When a woman walked up to Zen, he glanced at Hestor for confirmation. Maat was able to sense other celestial mages and could warn them. After a celestial mage had tried to take his bands off him during sex, Zen tended towards caution.

Kaleb didn’t say anything as he walked into the section but arched an eyebrow at Zen being led away. Once upon a time, he might’ve worried but he knew that Hestor wouldn’t allow him to be claimed against his will. Would defend him against a celestial mage if need be. Had done so in the past.

“You’re not looking for pleasure?” Kaleb asked.

“Not tonight.”

The woman sitting in Cristoff’s lap leaned back and look at the two men. “If he doesn’t mind sharing, I don’t mind you joining,” she said, not hiding her thoughts.

“Thank you, but no,” Kaleb said. Hestor glanced over her and then met Cristoff’s eyes to confirm that he didn’t mind. The dragon slayer shrugged slightly and shifted how he was sitting so that Hestor could comfortably sit behind her.

When they were preparing to rescue Zen, it had been Kalperden that recommended Hestor when they’d asked for a celestial mage. They hadn’t known about the compulsion yet, but the fluidity of a celestial mage’s capabilities was what prompted Arman to ask about one.

That time had endeared Hestor to the family. The oddly easy friendship he had with Zen also helped. That he wielded dark keys still worried them at times though. It almost made them keep him closer. Hold him tighter.

.~*~.

The women all had at least one drink and were dancing by the time Lucy’s eyes wandered over to DJ booth and recognized Farron from his pictures. The signs announcing DJ Sonore’s presence didn’t have his picture.

She stilled and saw Farron look up from the turn-table at her.

“Are you all right?” Erza yelled.

Lucy nodded and tore her eyes from him to go back to dancing. A man came up behind her.

“Can I join you?”

She glanced over her shoulder just enough to register that he was relatively attractive before nodding. A few times, she couldn’t stop herself from glancing up at Farron who seemed to be frowning.

Cana pulled Lucy away as they headed back to the bar to get more drinks. It was while they were off the dance floor that a fight started.

“Really?” Cana groaned.

At first, Lucy was just as exasperated as they were. Until magic started flying.

“What are they doing?”

“Huh?” Erza questioned. “Oh. Heorot is a tir-na-nog bar.”

“What?”

 _We’re all mages here,_ she heard Kaleb tell her. _Behind you._

She turned to see him leaning over the railing and watching as security broke up the fight. The magic still prickled uncomfortably against her skin. Like the sensation of her legs falling asleep but all over. Now that she was aware of it, she felt all the different varieties of magic floating around.

_‘Tir-na-nog?’_

_Mages. A secret community of mages. This is what we were protecting you from._

_It was late. The boys had been woken up, but Lucy was left sleeping. Layla was three months pregnant and already, her doctors were already requiring her to be on bedrest._

_“I need you to promise that if something happens to me, Lucy won’t know about tir-na-nog.”_

_“How?” Farron asked._

_“My bonds and the zodiac keys will automatically transfer to Lucy, but I don’t want her know about tir-na-nog. It isn’t safe. The dragons will have to be around her but-”_

_Layla trailed off but both Pradesh boys understood what she was failing to say. They couldn’t be around. Kaleb glanced at his dad who was standing with Jude behind them. There was a hint of acknowledgement of his silent assumptions._

_“Why?” Kaleb asked._

_“She’s the last Heartfilia. There will always be people that will try to hurt her or use her because of that.”_

Cana’s head was tilted slightly as she studied Lucy. “How is that possible?” she asked finally.

“Huh?” Lucy muttered, turning to look at her.

“How do you not know about tir-na-nog?”

Lucy glanced up at Farron. “That’s a really long story.”


	7. Star Maiden

The car ride to the Pradesh Manor was silent as Lucy’s glare remained fully locked on the back of Kaleb’s head as he drove. Cristoff and Vander chose to use their magic to get there while Farron finished the night at the club. Farron had wanted to join them but Kaleb argued that it would elicit too much attention on them. Particularly with any Sorcerer Weekly paparazzi.

Emzadi was trying to draw a conversation out of Lucy, but she intent on glaring daggers. The woman’s orange eyes bounced between them with an amused smile on her painted lips. Other people might miss the nerves in his expression, but she didn’t. No, whatever Lucy was thinking made him nervous.

 _Enough_ , he said.

Lucy wasn’t paying attention but Zen and Hestor were sitting in the third row of the SUV and guessing what Lucy was threatening. Bickslow, who’d arrived at the club just as they were leaving, was occasionally adding to their guesses as the only one who knew what her go-to revenge plots looked like.

The manor was another memory. She remembered running in and out of the house with Kaleb and Farron. A few of a green-haired boy that she couldn’t place.

 _Beck Fashion. His aunt was friends with your mom, Ganier, and Dad_ , Kaleb told her.

_Thanks. I guess._

_I know you’re mad but-_

_No. Just no. You might be in my head but don’t act like you understand._

_And don’t act like finding out that you forgot us didn’t hurt Farron and me._

_You left first!_ Lucy sighed. _We’re going around in circles._

The house had changed from her memories. There were knick-knacks of various Pradesh children. Trophies, awards, and pictures decorated the walls and shelves.

Arman, who’d been warned of their arrival, was waiting for them in sleep pants and a t-shirt. A tray of teacups, kettle, and teabags had been set on the coffee table. As well as a bottle of whiskey.

The man was much like she remembered. Still huge despite her growing up. There were a few more creases in his face and grays in his hair.

“You look like your mother,” he said as a greeting.

“You’ve aged well.”

He chuckled and held his arms open to her. Though he could hear her hurt, she walked into his embrace.

“It’s good to have you back.” He gestured to the seats. “Sit. I know you have questions.”

“This seems like a family thing so I’m-”

“Sit,” Arman said, interrupting Hestor’s attempts to hide in the library. “There’s bits of this that’ll interest you too.”

Arman watched with interest at how the three celestial mages sat down. Hestor seemed to unconsciously put himself between Lucy and Zen on the couch. With Zen’s experiences in Sky Reach, there was never a sexual component to Hestor and Zen’s friendship. In his more self-deprecating moments, he admitted to wanting to protect Zen from mages like himself.

On the other hand, Kaleb took the chair to Lucy’s left despite Cristoff being closer. Neither boy had taken leaving Lucy well. The difference was that Farron strived for the kind of love he remembered his parents having and believed in soulmates and destiny. Destiny would lead him where he needed to be.

Kaleb had pined. Though, Arman would admit that he wasn’t certain Kaleb had realized that in himself. Had favored male lovers until he realized that Beck took that as a hope to hang onto. That it took relationships with two different brown-eyed women and a conversation with Minda for him to realize it made Arman a bit sheepish

Cristoff and Bickslow had their phones out leading Arman to the conclusion that they were likely texting each other about everyone else in the room. The annoyed looks that Kaleb was giving them supported this assumption.

“I guess that I should start with why we left,” Arman said.

“You left because Mama asked you. I want to know why. Why _they_ -” she nodded her head at Kaleb- “never came for me again is something they’ll have to answer for themselves.”

“There’s parts of the reason that I can’t tell you.”

“Why?”

“Because of the nature of your magic. Do you remember that story that your mother used to tell you, Farron, and Kaleb?”

“The first Star Maiden? Yes.” She sighed when he gestured for her to tell the story. “The Star Maiden was a princess. One day, she became lost in another kingdom. Though she’d try for many years, she never found her way home. Until one day, one of her former subjects stumbled upon her on. He’d come to the other kingdom because without the Star Maiden, the kingdom was falling to ruins. He was able to lead her home.

“However, the Star Maiden’s parents had died, and her crown was lost. No one could help her retrieve it because it was her quest to prove that she was worthy after being lost for so long. She’d make friends that would help her along the way. Once she got the two halves from Corona Australis and Corona Borealis and put them back together, the kingdom was healed. The end.

“And the point of that was?”

“To remind you that some journeys, you have to make on your own. Your mother was scared that people would try to exploit that you’re the last Heartfilia and that you’re divinely blessed and protected. Or, more insidiously, find ways to use your connection to the dragon slayers.”

“What’s tir-na-nog?”

Arman sighed and gave his sons a withering look. “As you know, magic isn’t practiced in the open. Tir-na-nog is an underground community for mages. Pelerno and White Sea are the capitals though there are cities all over the world where similar communities exist. It’s why your dad was so concerned about you coming here.”

“My dragons know, don’t they?”

“Yes,” Bickslow said. “It’s why they all went to school in Magnolia. Makarov runs a guild there called Fairy Tail.”

Lucy stood and started walking towards the door.

“Where are you going?” Kaleb asked, standing as well.

“I don’t know yet.”

“Let me-” He reached for her arm, but she jerked away.

“No. I don’t-”

Cristoff came up behind Kaleb. “I’m the lunar dragon slayer. You have nothing against me, right? Let me make sure you make it home safe, okay?”

Lucy looked up at the big man, marveling at his appearance before gesturing for him to bend down and pressed her forehead to his. Kaleb remembered seeing Layla do that to Laxus and Gajeel when they acted out as children.

Even though Natsu was technically Layla’s dragon, he was always really Lucy’s. Enough so that he remembered overhearing a conversation between Layla, Jude, and Arman about encouraging Farron and Kaleb’s burgeoning crushes because she worried about Lucy and Natsu’s relationship.

When Lucy stepped back, she smiled up at him. “You’ll do. We have to drive though.”

The drive was silent as he didn't prod her into saying anything and let her muse about what had happened. Outside her building, she kissed him goodbye and walked inside.

It almost didn’t register how late it was until she realized that her apartment was still. Natsu and Happy were already asleep for the night. If she stayed quiet, they wouldn’t manage to stop her.

.~*~.

Laxus had ignored the calls from Natsu. It was early on his day off and he didn’t want to deal with him. Bickslow, on the other hand, had a key to his flat and no problem sneaking in and dumping ice water on him to wake him up. Besides, whatever was wrong was apparently serious enough for Natsu to call Bickslow.

“What?”

“Lucy’s missing.”

Laxus jolted up, nearly falling out of bed in the process. “What?”

“Natsu got up and saw the bed hadn’t been slept in. Cristoff dropped her off after an incident at Heorot.”

“What was she doing at Heorot?”

“Girls’ night with Cana, Erza, and Mira. She knows. Dad told her.”

“Shit.”

“Look, Natsu says that it doesn’t feel like she’s in trouble but-”

“I know. Shit.”

 

It was a few hours later that Laxus got the call from his grandfather. Lucy had jumped on first airship that would get her to Crocus then Magnolia. She’d wanted to see Fairy Tail.

Makarov called Jude first. He didn’t think to call Laxus until Lucy commented about moving to Pelerno. Realizing how betrayed Lucy felt by the secrets, he still almost didn’t call Laxus. When Layla first requested that Makarov not tell Lucy about Fairy Tail, he’d thought that it was the wrong decision. That Natsu was probably frantic not knowing where Lucy was what made up the guildmaster’s mind.

.~*~.

“How’d you find me?” Lucy asked when Emery sat down next to her.

“Makarov called Jude. Jude called me. And I know you. When you’re upset, you go to the highest place where you can see the most stars.”

“You knew? About tir-na-nog and everything?”

“Yeah.”

“Why didn’t-”

“Why do you think Mom always held potions lessons when you came to our house? And warned you not to try them at home? Why do you think we played games that involved spell crafting?”

Lucy turned to look at her cousin. “You were teaching me?”

“Yup. Mom always thought that that you being kept in the dark was much more dangerous than you knowing about tir-na-nog.”

“Mom’s fear- It was about more than just exploitation, wasn’t it?”

“That was probably the main reason, but you’re right. I doubt it was the full one.”

“You’re not going to tall me it all traces back to the Star Maiden fairy tale, are you?”

“Only as far as the Star Maiden was a Heartfilia,” Emery said, laying on her back.

“What?”

“Hundreds of years ago, magic wasn’t the secret that it is today. Then Ares created dragon slayers and let them loose on mankind. The mages tried protecting humans, but the dragons were decimating everyone. Then he became bored of the one-sided carnage and abandoned the dragons. Hestia took this opportunity to go to the queen of the mages, the Star Maiden, and asked her to agree to guide the dragons.

“The Star Maiden agreed but on one condition: the gods had to help her hide the mages. That was how tir-na-nog was originally formed. Mind you, it’s a world in itself to explore. We’ll have some fun in Pelerno.”

“The kindergarten teacher is going to get wild?” Lucy teased.

“Yeah, yeah.” Emery stuck her tongue out playfully.

“Why did the Star Maiden abdicate? I mean, I’m assuming she did since I’m not a queen or anything.”

“It’s not real clear,” Emery admitted. “According to Mom, there’s a few mentions that she was so disgusted by her own people that she abdicated. It’s why the absence of the princess in the story causes the kingdom to fall to ruin. But what they actually did was anyone’s guess. If Mom’s math is right, it only took fifty years between the agreement with Hestia and the abdication.”

The two women sat in silence for a few minutes. Growing up, she’d never realized that the Star Maiden was a celestial mage. Then again, she didn’t think about the story much after her mother died.

“How’d you know about this place?”

“Laxus. He figured he’d use the opportunity to introduce Makarov to Xally.”

“Oh. And thanks. For trying to teach me something over the years.”

“Yeah. No problem. Did you get any answers here?”

“No.”

“Yeah… Figured as much. Jude hired movers to put my stuff in storage for the summer. I’m flying back with you.”

“Cool. We should head back before Laxus fries Makarov for slapping Xally’s butt or something.”

Emery laughed until she realized Lucy wasn’t kidding.

.~*~.

Arman had a photo album open in his lap, looking at one particular picture. It was of Zen with his little wings trying to lift Lucy from the floor. He’d taken the quick photo before running over to catch Zen. When the photo was developed, he’d still laughed despite Layla and Ganier’s unamused expressions.

_“One of the Hall keys were found,” Layla said frantically. He could hear her pacing over the phone._

_“You’re not making any sense,” Arman replied._

_“Libra told me that one of the Hall keys was found. A contract made.”_

_“That happens.”_

_“No. You don’t understand. The Ivory Watchers set that Ganier had and the Obsidian Hall set were the dove and the hawk. And then Zen was an archangel. There’s no such thing as coincidences.”_

_“Zen is dead,” Arman said, the words harsher than he meant them._

_“I know. But Farron isn’t. He’s still yours and Ganier’s. He could still have the magic.”_

_“He’s eight and uses my sound magic.”_

_“You’re sure?”_

_“Yes. He’s learning archive magic with Kaleb.”_

_Arman heard her sigh and relax. These bouts of hers were becoming more frequent. To the point Jude had called worried. He’d called Minda to get a hold of Grammi._

_Neither woman thought that something was mentally wrong. No. Both women thought it was some sense within her magic. Minda reminding him that Layla was a Heartfilia._

_Later, when Layla was pregnant and telling Jude and Arman to keep Lucy from tir-na-nog, she admitted that she never thought she’d be queen. No, she feared that Lucy would be._

The first time that Arman met Hestor, his concerns were solely on getting Zen out of Sky Reach. When the friendship first sprung up between Zen, Vander, and Hestor, he’d encouraged it. Encouraged Zen to explore the world with his friend in search of the other keys in the Hall set. The young man’s keys drove him dark. Though, even he would admit that the spirits seemed reticent in pushing him too far. Like they were waiting for permission.

Arman flipped the page. Now that Lucy was back, he should put this one in a frame somewhere. In the picture, Lucy was standing victoriously with her fists on her hips on the backs of Kaleb, Farron, and Beck. He couldn’t remember how she’d managed to talk them into agreeing to this. The picture was taken by him because neither Minda or Layla could stop laughing long enough to take it. It was still a bit blurry because he kept laughing.

What was terrifying wasn’t that Lucy might find herself thrust onto a throne she didn’t want, but rather that she might be good at it. He also made a mental note to ask Vander to record Lucy around Hestor. The bubbly woman that he’d gotten to know through Bickslow’s stories was to drive the prickly mage nuts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, that was a nod to Chibi-Lucy from Nightmare's _Star of Bosco_.


	8. First Steps

Lucy was grabbing lunch with Emery when they were surprised by Bickslow and Farron. Well, Lucy was. Emery shrugged and acknowledged that she texted the seith mage about where they were eating.

“You two go talk,” Emery said with a shooing motion at Lucy and Farron.

The two walked to a nearby park. On the way, Farron bought them both ice cream cones before finding a table to sit at.

“How much do you remember?”

“A little bit every day. You and Kaleb were my first crushes. Like, I know I didn’t know that at the time, but I do now. Or rather, I understand.”

“Do you remember Zen?”

She shook her head. “I remember being _told_ about him. But not him. Apparently, I remembered your mom’s sugar cookies.”

Farron chuckled. “Mr. Elan has tried making them but they’re never quite right. How do you feel about us now?”

“Annoyed. Hurt.” She sighed. “I miss you.”

He cupped her cheeks, leaned over the table, and kissed her softly. His lips were cold and tasted a bit of chocolate and caramel. She smiled but it was almost a sad smile.

“No fireworks?”

Arman loved telling about when he first met Ganier so it didn’t surprise him that she’d known what he was looking for. The world both tilting upside-down and all of a sudden feeling like he was seeing color for the first time.

“No. Sorry.”

“Don’t be. As long as you haven’t been pining all this time.”

“I’m pretty sure there’s romance novels like that.”

“Sure, but then I’d be mad at you for torturing yourselves when you could’ve come to me for the last four years. I mean, I guess that I’m a little disappointed. I read _a lot_ of those romances when I was younger.”

“Maybe your own subconscious pining.”

“It’s not fair. You’ve known about me over the last almost decade through Bix. Tell me what I’ve missed.”

“My induction partner was a woman with blonde hair and brown eyes. I was kind of stuck on it at the time.” He smiled at Lucy’s blush. “Went to college for law and political science. When Kaleb talked me into partnering with him, I got a degree in business.”

“I have one too. Business degree, I mean. Dad insisted.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. I have a lot of people that work for me on that side.”

Lucy reached over and touched the end of his braid. “This means something, doesn’t it? Arman has one too.”

“It means that I’m a Peacekeeper. It took me longer than I thought it would to earn it. There’s enough people working under me that I can focus on issues concerning tir-na-nog. Protecting us.”

“How?”

“A lot of hacking and deleting information mostly. Unless Oz gets there first.”

“Oz?”

“Oz Pinhead. He’s another hacker. Damned good at it too.” Lucy’s smile widened as he talked about Oz. Half of it sounded like a rant while the other half sounded impressed. And maybe a touch infatuated.

Lucy giggled when he went back to ranting about the ridiculousness of the name. “It’s the full name of the Wizard of Oz. Oscar Zoroaster… Yeah. I’ve got nothing after that. But he even says that it spelled out Oz Pinhead, so he shortened it to just ‘Oz.’ I’m guessing it’s his way of saying that he’s the man behind the curtain.”

“Hm…”

Even before Layla had died, Lucy hadn’t spent much time in tir-na-nog. The fascination Kaleb and Farron’s stories inspired in her led to a fondness of books where characters found themselves in magical lands. He had more than a few memories of them bringing her a new book and Lucy scrambling into their laps to read or reading aloud to Natsu.

“What about Kaleb?” Lucy’s eyes narrowed when she recognized his expression. “You know, ten years and I would’ve thought you’d get better at lying.”

“No. You just know my tells.”

“Hm. We should play poker.”

“No.” He chuckled. “You should talk to him yourself. Trying going to train at Mare tomorrow.”

“Yeah. Fine.”

.~*~.

“Yes?” Emery asked when Bickslow hovered instead of sitting opposite of her.

“Am I supposed to sit?”

“If you’d like. Knowing Lucy, it could take some time.”

Bickslow sat down across from the woman. She didn’t comment about him watching her while she read. He wondered if she registered him using his magic to look at her soul. It was still healing.

“How are you?” he asked softly.

She quirked her pursed lips to the side. “Time helps. So does therapy,” she said after a while. “I’ll probably need to decide if I should see one here.”

That January, Emery had been on the phone with her boyfriend when he hit a patch of ice and died on impact. She'd been devastated when his mother handed her the engagement ring he hadn't proposed with yet. That he’d been the first good one after a string of bad ones had hit her hard.

Enough so that Bickslow had stayed on her couch for a while so that Lucy would focus on her final semester. Bickslow had liked the man when he’d met him after Emery invited him for Christmas.

“How does my soul look?”

“Like you’re healing. Have you thought about sessions with a Sudehpah?”

She nodded. “I’ll need to reach out to White Sea for a mage one.”

“I’ll make the call.”

She smiled. “Thanks. Is your brother still the master of White Sea?”

“Yeah.”

It wasn’t long after Grenlow had stepped down as master that Kaleb and Farron had started Mare Bianco Technologies, named for the guild. It had caused a lot of friction in the community, but they’d both argued that as technology outpaced their magic, eventually, tir-na-nog would be exposed to the world at large. As the company grew, they maintained that it’s influence would be an asset when that day eventually came.

.~*~.

Kaleb was not amused. The training basements were open to the public, but it wasn’t usually expected of him to give the tour. As master of White Sea, he handled the inductions. As CEO of Mare Bianco Technologies, he insisted on being the final interview of all new hires.

The specific tenor of Lucy’s mind hit him first. That she was flirting with Hibiki Lates hit him second. She glanced over her shoulder when she felt his presence.

_Goddess Aphrodite…He’s like a walking wet dream._

He smirked and when Lucy saw that, she scowled.

_Stay out of my head. I really need to remember how I kept you out when we were younger._

_I’m stronger than I was then._

_Me too._

“I’m sorry, Mr. Pradesh,” Cymone, the front desk receptionist, said. In her mind, she was already expecting to need to clear out her desk. “She insisted and-”

“It’s all right. I know how persuasive she is when she puts her mind to it.”

Lucy gave him a wicked little smile before turning back to Hibiki. “Tomorrow at eight?”

“It’s a date,” he said.

 _Farron still needs him. Farron still needs him,_ Kaleb repeated as a mantra.

“So, the basements?”

“I could ask Zen and Hestor to go with you,” Kaleb said stiffly.

“Oh, don’t you go pulling the overprotective bullshit on me,” Lucy said, recognizing his stiffness. “I get enough of that from the dragons.”

She followed him to an elevator hidden behind a wall façade that opened when he pressed on a brick.

“Lucy-”

“Don’t use that tone with me,” she said.

He could hear her compartmentalizing. It was what his father had taught his siblings since he stayed out of everything except powerful flitting thoughts.

“Do you hate me?” he asked, surprising himself as they stepped into the lobby from the elevators.

“That’s a ridiculous question. Of course not.” She sighed. “I feel like I was lied to. By my memories of my mom. By the fact that you got to know me through Bickslow. And with your Peeping Tom magic, you probably know a lot more than Farron. I just- I don’t know how we stand on equal footing. And I don’t like that feeling.

“I appreciate everything up until I was eighteen. I forgive everything up until I was eighteen.”

“But?”

“But I need time. There’s an entire world I still need to get to know.”

“I can show you.”

She didn’t answer. Instead, she walked through the double doors and stopped short. The training space was massive. The height was more than she’d have thought possible considering the Boscan aquifer. The first ten feet of wall was brick, but the rest was left to natural stone.

“Earth mages helped dig it out. They keep it sealed and protected from the elements.”

“Magic can do this?” Lucy breathed.

“Yeah.” The answer was soft because it was first time that he fully appreciated what keeping her from tir-na-nog did to her understanding of magic. Yes, the training space was impressive, but it was just a grander scale version of similar spaces all over Ishgar.

“Shit!” Lucy cursed, jumping back into Kaleb’s chest as Zen landed in front of them. “You have wings. Did you always have wings?”

“Pretty much. Dad showed me a picture where I was trying to fly off with you,” Zen replied with a smile.

Lucy giggled. “You gonna try flying off with me now?”

“I can,” he said, his voice a bit rougher. The tone making Lucy blush.

Whatever sexual tension might have been building popped when another voice snorted. “You either need to spend more time with Van or less. Can’t decide.”

“Shut up, Hes.”

“You couldn’t pull off devilish rogue if your life depended on it.”

“Pretty sure that I don’t need to.”

Lucy giggled.

“Just for that.” Zen scooped up Lucy and shot into the air with a hard flap of his wings that coated Hestor with a fine layer of dirt. Kaleb, who’d heard Zen’s plan, managed to step back behind the door.

“Remind me again why there’s dirt floors.”

“Easier to maintain,” Kaleb replied lightly.

Just as Hestor was almost finished dusting himself off, Zen landed hard again. Lucy, who was clinging to his torso with her face in the crook of his neck, squeaked.

There was a not so subtle smirk directed at Kaleb as Zen carefully pried Lucy off.

“You know, I was thinking how interesting sex in the air might be, but I take it back.” Her legs wobbled slightly as the adrenaline eased.

“Did you come here to train?” Hestor asked.

“Yeah.”

Hestor walked around her slowly. She was fit. That was obvious by the way her yoga pants curved over her ass and hips. The tank top was loose in a way that almost accentuated her curves rather than detract.

“I don’t know if she can keep up with us,” Hestor said.

Lucy put her hands on her hips. “I train with dragons. Do you really think that you scare me?”

“You’re a celestial mage. I can sense it. But it feels different.”

“Leo, if you would,” Lucy said, and the spirit promptly appeared.

Kaleb saw the way Leo’s eyes widened as he glanced between Zen and Hestor and the flash of fear before he draped an arm over Lucy shoulders.

“You’re in Bosco and you still prefer me. Told you I was the best.”

She rolled her eyes and bumped her hip into his. “I should’ve summoned Virgo.”

“You wound me. I’m-”

“You’re Leo, the leader of the Zodiac. How did _you_ get his key?” Hestor demanded, his tone harsh enough that Leo moved slightly, and both Pradesh men were surprised.

“The Zodiac are bound to the Heartfilias.” Leo stepped forward so that only Hestor could hear his low threat, “And you should remember your place. If not, I’m sure Ammit or Maat will remind you.”

Kaleb wasn’t sure how the spirit did it, but his words left something sounding like snow masking his words in Hestor’s mind. That didn’t stop him from noticing that the already fair-skinned man paled further.

“If you’re looking to play, I recommend Libra.” Even something in the way Leo said that seemed like a threat. Lucy didn’t comment but her eyes were narrowed slightly. A silent communication between her and her spirit promised a lengthier conversation.

At her name, Libra appeared. Her gaze lingered on Hestor and Zen. The attention seemed to make Hestor nervous. Despite only her eyes being visible, Lucy could see something that verged on excitement when it came to Zen. The group moved further into the training space though Leo lingered near the doors and near Kaleb.

“I’d say she shouldn’t be here but that ship has sailed.”

“Why? Why is that everyone’s reaction? Why did Layla want her kept from tir-na-nog?”

“Because it was only a matter of time that they found Acnologia. Despite Nurem going into hiding. That they’d need Lucy. You must not let her bond with Cristoff or Emzadi.” Leo wasn’t looking at Kaleb. He was watching Libra toy with Hestor and Zen.

“It might be too late. The Watchers are reconstituted. He has nine of the Hall keys. And an archangel. To think Evelyn was right all those years ago.”

“You’re not making any sense,” Kaleb said.

Leo turned to look Kaleb in the eye. “She can’t bond with a dragon slayer. Her only bonds were inherited from her mother. Her magic can’t be fully awakened.”

“Why?”

“Because she won’t be ready to go up against him.”

“If we hadn’t-”

“No. She still wouldn’t have been ready. Anna Heartfilia was the most powerful of the Star Maidens and the best she could do was seal him away. No. That he hasn’t killed her means he has something else planned.”

.~*~.

Cobra arched an eyebrow at Angel throwing a fit, grateful that the glass separating the lounge from the training room was sound proof.

“What’s with her?”

“The seventh one wouldn’t make a contract, oh yeah,” Hoteye said. “All that money wasted, oh yeah.”

He chuckled and took a seat to watch her rampage around the training room. Ever since finding out that there were a set of keys, the Watchers of Enoch, that were literal angels, she’d been obsessed with finding them. However, when she found the first, the angel refused to make a contract. That surprised Angel since none of her spirits had initially denied her. As she slowly gathered the set, she’d assumed that they’d eventually make a contract.

“These fucking keys won’t break!” she screeched. “Sell them! Fucking sell them and get me a fucking profit off these fuckers!”

The man chuckled, but Cobra could already hear him trying to figure which fences would be his best options.

Cobra walked further into the building to find Brain.

“Well?” he asked. “I’m getting bored.”

“Ivan has a few of his working first. He wants us waiting for now.”

“I hate waiting.”

“You’ll hate dying more. Ivan and his friend aren’t the type to be forgiving.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m gonna see Grandice. See if he has something for me to do.”

“Go ahead but stay in contact and stay out of trouble.”

“Whatever.”

Brain leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. Ivan liked to think he was in charge, but they all knew that it was truly Set. Not that Brain knew what Ivan had on Set to make him the slight bit of subservience. He suspected that it was information since Ivan was dead set on keeping Cobra out of the way.

There was something in the back of his mind. Something that he’d read but discarded as unimportant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, I still don't know most of my pairings.


	9. Forgiveness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, the quote is from the Odyssey.

**Oz_Pinhead: My facial recognition popped something weird.**

Farron looked at the messenger when it popped up. Oz sent him a screenshot. The man was maybe in his early thirties. His long mane of dark blue hair was unruly and he had dark tan skin. Light blue tattoos marked his face and arms. The other hacker’s facial recognition popped that there were no matches.

**Odysseus: So, he hasn’t been in trouble.**

**Oz_Pinhead: Maybe, but the original scan popped a reference from a book scanned at U of Pelerno. A book about the ancient queens and dragon slayers.**

That was a surprise. And a bit worrying.

**Oz_Pinhead: I don’t exactly have a way to get the original book.**

**Odysseus: And I’d want to why?**

**Oz_Pinhead: Because he was sighted with Ivan Dreyer and Jose Porla.**

**Odysseus: You looked into what I was looking for, didn’t you?**

**Oz_Pinhead: I got curious.**

**Odysseus: Curiosity killed the cat.**

**Oz_Pinhead: But satisfaction brought it back.**

**Oz_Pinhead: Is everything all right? You’re typing slower than usual.**

**Odysseus: A couple of friends having trouble communicating.**

**Oz_Pinhead: "It is the wine that leads me on, the wild wine that sets the wisest man to sing at the top of his lungs, laugh like a fool – it drives the man to dancing... it even tempts him to blurt out stories better never told." Homer, _The Odyssey_**

**Odysseus: I knew what it was from.**

**Odysseus: Getting him drunk would be next to impossible.**

**Oz_Pinhead: It takes two to communicate.**

**Oz_Pinhead: Generally.**

**Odysseus: I’ll keep that in mind.**

**Odysseus: I’ll see what I can do about the book.**

**Oz_Pinhead: Thanks.**

.~*~.

Lucy was enjoying the cooler evening air on Farron’s balcony. He was resetting the board after she had checked his queen.

“You’re playing rather badly tonight.” She sipped her glass of whiskey and watched him.

He was keeping her entertained because Natsu was home. The apartment had been tense while Lucy was still annoyed with her dragons with Laxus and Natsu getting the brunt of her wrath.

All of his siblings were at his dad’s for dinner and while she had an open invitation, she knew they were trying to keep her from Emzadi and Cristoff. She knew it had something to do with Leo’s reaction to Hestor. So far, all were mum.

The nature of her spirits’ magic meant that she couldn’t even be annoyed with them since it was probably a remaining agreement with her mother.

“Just a lot on my mind.”

“Oz?”

Farron groaned. “You’re worse than Dad. I feel like you shouldn’t support my interest in a black hat.”

“So you _are_ interested.” She giggled when he blanched. “At least someone’s love life is interesting.”

“Why are you so mad with Kaleb? You’ve forgiven me fairly easily.”

She moved her first pawn. “I don’t know. Just part of me begrudges him leaving more. And I don’t know why.”

“What about your dragons?”

She huffed. While Lucy had mostly forgiven Kaleb and Farron for disappearing, there were hundreds of little lies that her dragons had told her to maintain their narratives. Emery normally played mediator but was refusing this time. Given that Natsu had never kept secrets from her before, she didn’t know how to deal with the shift in their relationship.

Laxus was refusing to acknowledge that he’d done anything wrong. This had moved Xally into unenviable position of playing mediator between Lucy and Laxus. Lucy had been having coffee with Xally during the latter’s lunch break every few days.

Gajeel and Levy had escaped her wrath when he pointed out that he never lied. She just never asked. Metalicana wasn’t really a member of tir-na-nog, so Gajeel didn’t need to fib around. By the time Levy came into the picture, there wasn’t a reason for her to ask.

“I’ll have to forgive Natsu eventually. I live with him and Happy will drive me nuts if I don’t. But Laxus won’t apologize.”

“So, you’re going to give him the cold shoulder until he does?”

“That’s the general plan.”          

.~*~.

_“Be careful,” Kaleb said from the ground while Lucy scrambled up the tree._

_“I’m fine,” she yelled back._

_They were along the Gulf of Ishgar watching a sailboat racing contest. It was a day race and Farron was somewhere out in the water with a group from school._

_“I see them!” Their boat was one of many from schools around the country. The sail was decorated by his school’s emblem._

_“Are they winning?”_

_“Um…top ten?”_

_“They’re tenth, aren’t they?”_

_Farron had been complaining about the other boys in the group. But he was raised not to quit. That meant, despite being certain they’d lose, he was going to try his hardest. Lucy wasn’t supposed to be there, but Kaleb talked Layla into letting her come since the young girl was exceptional at cheering Farron up._

_“Do you have a way down?”_

_Lucy glanced down at the older boy and was hit by a sudden wave of vertigo. Her grip slipped, and she scrunched her eyes closed as the ground came careening up towards her. The arms that caught her were strong but more forgiving than the ground._

_“I’ve got you.”_

_“See? I had a way down.”_

_Kaleb rolled his eyes at her cheeky answered. He had a suspicious feeling that either Erza or Brandi was giving her more adult romance novels._

_“I’ll always catch you, but please stop putting yourself in danger.”_

_“Always?”_

_He squatted down so that she could get on his back. “Always. And don’t like you haven’t always had me wrapped around your finger.”_

_She giggled._

.~*~.

Farron had reintroduced Lucy to Beck. Not that he’d been ugly when they were kids, but he’d flustered her as she looked up at him. When she wasn’t working, she was alternating her time between Emery or Beck.

Beck was guiding her through White Sea. The guild oversaw all other guilds. In the summer, mages from all around Ishgar converged on Pelerno or White Sea. That was why Mira and Cana were in Pelerno.

Beck was the one to take Lucy to the city of White Sea, the ancestral home of the guild. When Kaleb started MBT, he’d moved most guild functions to Pelerno. That had caused a lot of friction despite many mages still living in the city. White Sea was a mages’ only city with protections so old nobody knew how they worked anymore. A company based in a city that most couldn’t find on a map was doomed to fail. That MBT only hired mages soothed many ruffled feathers.

With her lessons concerning specifically Boscan mages, she’d learned about the immersion into the Immaculate Light. It was what turned Kaleb’s hair white and his eyes lavender. It turned her mother’s black, Stargazer tattoos white as well. And was probably the main reason Layla insisted that the Pradeshes stayed away.

Emery took her to Acadame Celestine. The school was designed to look like an exclusive resort with a guarded gate that asked the tir-na-nog riddle. Lucy had never been around that much stellarium. The stone made both her and Emery giggly and magic drunk. The two had enjoyed themselves in the bathhouse.

Dean Kalperden was practically giddy at her arrival. He’d taught her mother and unabashedly admitted to being surprised that Layla chose to marry a Milesian given the emphasis she put on her family’s position.

She accepted his offer to join fall lectures when she could. The drive from Pelerno was enough that it would only be Friday lectures and weekend training sessions.

.~*~.

“Is there a particular reason you’ve been antagonizing Kaleb?” Beck asked as he held the bag steady for her.  

The realization that she wasn’t as badass as she thought after Hestor handed her ass to her had her training harder than ever. Zen always seemed to flinch away from striking her, but he was a taskmaster that even earned Capricorn’s approval. Hestor had no such compunction in sparring her. To the point that Zen had to physically separate them a few times.

Beck was who she trained with when she needed a break from Hestor since the other celestial mage seemed determined to never allow her to be alone with Zen. The beast master didn’t pull punches, but he also didn’t go out of his way to hurt her like Hestor did. But he was also a good ear when she needed to rant. No one would tell her what happened in the intervening years, but she knew something had changed in his relationship with Kaleb.

“No idea what you’re talking about,” she replied with an innocent smile.

It was that smile that clued him in. The smile didn’t elicit the reflexive flinch that it did when they were children. That didn’t mean that it didn’t still promise trouble.

As children, when she’d get bored because Kaleb was working on a project, she’d plop onto his bed or in a chair and read. Though she would say anything, she’d think so loud that Beck swore he could hear her. Now, she could be found in Farron’s suite doing something similar since Kaleb and Farron shared the top floor.

She was like a cat, he realized. Always wanted attention on her terms. Lucy could spend hours reading alone or spend time with the one brother until she specifically wanted attention from the other. She once curled up in Kaleb’s lap without a word and seemed to enjoy his presence in silence. After her mother died and he realized that he’d fallen for his best friend, he felt guilty for being grateful that she was no longer around.

“You’re baiting him,” he said.

“Hm?” she said as if she hadn’t heard him, but he knew that she had. If possible, her smirk widened as she bounced back to kick the bag.

“That halo is held by horns,” he muttered darkly.

“Maybe, but when was the last time he pretended to have a life?”

In retaliation to Lucy dating Hibiki, Kaleb had let Emzadi set him up with a friend of hers. Annaliese was beautiful, smart, and weirdly not awed to be dating the master of White Sea. When Lucy managed to ask Vander, all he’d say was that Emzadi picked her for a reason.

“This is doomed for failure. You should end it before someone gets hurt.”

“No idea what you’re talking about.”

Beck moved so that he was looking at Lucy directly. “You’re playing with hearts. You know better than this.” He sighed when she folded her arms under her chest. “I know you’re hurting, but this isn’t the way and you know it.”

She stepped back and started unwrapping her fists. “I should get going. I’m meeting Van, Zen, and-” her nose scrunched up like she’d smelled a foul odor- “Hestor for drinks tonight.”

This would be the first time that she’d be going out with the Trouble Trio and he was worried. Not sure if it was Lucy or for the men.  

.~*~.

“We lost Van,” Lucy yelled over the music.

“Ten minutes. Who had the closest?” Zen yelled as well.

Hestor raised his hand and the other two passed him the 10j bills. She’d laughed but wasn’t surprised that they’d made a game out of how fast Vander could find himself being led into a privacy booth. Between his looks and watching him dance, if he wasn’t a Pradesh, she might’ve led him to a privacy booth.

Even though she was dancing between both attractive men, her presence seemed to dissuade anyone from trying to ask Zen for pleasure so Hestor was drinking a bit more than she suspected that he usually did. Someone caught Hestor’s eye and the snarky man disappeared.

New hands replaced his hands a moment later. Given that Zen didn’t react and the whispered greeting in her ear that sent shivers down her spine was to Bumblebee, she assumed it was Vander and kept dancing. She’d asked him why he called her that. His answer was that everyone acted as if something happening to her would end the world. Bees were a keystone species and fit her better than the other four species.

After Vander disappeared again and a woman got Hestor’s seal of approval, the two celestial mages found themselves sitting together at a table.

“You get one answer.” Hestor’s voice and gaze seemed surprisingly sober.

“Huh?”

“To one of the hundred questions that none of them will answer.”

“What happened between Beck and Kaleb?” she blurted out. It was the first question on her drunk mind.

“They shared pleasure. Meant more to Beck than it did Kaleb. Probably because he’s been pining over you for over a decade.”

“I’m gonna kill him.”

“Who?”

“Kaleb…”

She stood up and started walking away.

“Good luck!”

 

Kaleb swung open the door, ready to tear into whomever was banging on his door after midnight before demanding how someone got into the courtyard of his townhouse.

“Lucy?” He flinched away, already recognizing the look that Beck called her ‘feral cat glare.’ “Are you drunk?”

“Meh. I remembered how to get to your house so that’s all that really matters,” she said, barging past him and up the stairs.

He followed behind her slowly. Partly to enjoy how her ass looked in her short skirt and partly out of trepidation for why she was there.

“You slept with Beck. You had sex with Beck.”

“Are you mad?”

“Yes, I’m mad. You slept with him and he’s in love with you and you broke his heart. For what? He’s been your friend for fifteen fucking years. Why the fuck would you do that to him?”

“How did you find out?” His tone was resigned as he nervously watched her pace.

“Hestor. He’s chatty when he’s drunk. I like him best when he’s drunk. Or I like him best when _I’m_ drunk.” She paused for a second to consider that before waving her hand like she was trying to get rid of a thought bubble. “Never mind. It’s not important.

“I finally figured out why I’m more pissed with you than everyone else. They moved on. Arman would’ve adopted everyone regardless. But Farron’s been looking for that love that his parents had. But you- You’re still pining for the girl you thought I’d be. You’ve not tried-”

“I have tried. And then Bix comes home and tells stories about you. And the woman you became was better than anything I could’ve made up.”

“But what’s the point if you were never going to fucking come for me?” She was panting so hard that she almost missed his reply.

“Would you have rather I’d been married?”

“I’d have been sad, but also happy. Because someone I loved was loved and happy and-”

The sentence was interrupted by him pressing a kiss to her lips. His lips were soft. She felt his hands on the lower curve of her waist and whimpered.

“What was that?” she asked softly.

“You said you loved me.”

“You’re a bit of an idiot.”

She pulled him into another kiss and opened her mind up to the things she was slowly remembering. The moments of them as children with the understanding of an adult. These were tempered with far more adult musings that had Kaleb lifting her so that her legs wrapped around his waist.

When she ground her core against his erection, he decided to forgo trying to make it up the stairs and stumbled into the spare room while taking her clothes off on the way. Somehow, in her drunken rage, she’d missed that he was shirtless. Judging by how his erection felt, he wasn’t wearing underwear.

“Kaleb,” she whined when he set her down and leaned back to study her.

There was a lot of liquid courage spurring her on. Annoyance with the fact that he was no longer touching her. Amusement from how her thoughts on what she wanted to do to him were causing physical reactions. The anger that led her to his door was still there under her lust.

He leaned over and kissed her. “No,” he said.

“What?”

“You’re drunk. You can sleep it off here.”

 _I have Lucy_ , he told Vander and Zen as he headed upstairs to the master suite. _And tell Hes that I’m going to kill him later._

 _All right_ , was Vander’s response.

He had to remind himself not to take off his sleep pants before climbing back into bed. Around a half-hour later, he heard her pad into his room. She’d taken everything but her lace panties off and crawled into bed next to him. Her mind was drunk enough that he wasn’t sure she realized that neither of them were very dressed before hearing the lull of her falling asleep. He laid there, cursing Dionysus, trying to pretend that there wasn’t a beautiful woman asleep in his bed.


	10. Bonded

Lucy’s head was pounding, and she knew when she woke up, she’d have a proper hangover. Instead, she snuggled up into her bed and into the warmth of the body that she was octopus clinging to. That is until she realized that she was only in her panties and the body was too large to be either Hibiki’s or Natsu’s.

Her eyes shot open. The sunlight bounced off the unfamiliar white comforter. The sight of Kaleb’s bare chest and low riding sleep pants made her mouth open followed by a string of whispered ‘oh fuck’s.

She untangled herself from the blankets and snuck out with the vague memory of her clothes being scattered around the first floor. At the bedroom door, she glanced back at him. So much of her wanted to curl back up and deal with their issues over coffee. She snuck back over to him and stole a kiss, envious that even his morning breath tasted like apples.

The hangover forced her to stop for a bottle of water and aspirin before she got home. Pain eased, she had every intention of going home, showering, and falling back into her bed. An hour into this plan and she was still staring at the ceiling.

She was ninety-nine percent positive they didn’t have sex. This led to two reactions. The first was that she was grateful that they didn’t have sex while she was drunk enough that most the evening was a blur. The second was annoyance because she realized how much she really wanted to have sex with him.

She reached over to her cellphone and called the first person that came to mind.

“Lucy?” Xally said drowsily. “It’s-”

“I made out with Kaleb and tried to have drunk, angry sex with him.”

“I’ll be there in a minute.”

Thirty minutes later, she was still in her pajamas but opening her door to find Xally and Emzadi standing in her room. Xally was wearing shorts and what suspiciously looked like Laxus’s shirt since she was lost in it. On the other hand, Emzadi looked like she’d been pulled away from her morning exercise.

“Sure this is safe?” Lucy asked.

“Yeah. They’re just worried about you bonding with a dragon. Apparently, your spirit said that it would be dangerous,” Emzadi said, wandering into the apartment. She could smell Natsu’s familiar scent but knew that it was his shift at the fire station.

“Why?” Lucy asked as the women settled into the living room with coffee and donuts.

“Somebody called Acnologia. Leo wasn’t particularly forthcoming or making much sense and Kaleb can’t read a spirit’s mind unless they let him. Kek-t, one of Hes’s spirits, has been trying to get her hands on Kaleb for ages and is unabashed in letting him into her incredibly explicit fantasies. A number of them apparently being threesomes with Hestor.”

“That name seems familiar. Acnologia, I mean. Like something I read growing up.”

“Yeah, well, from what I gather, it’s the reason your mom didn’t want you anywhere near tir-na-nog.”

“So, you snuck out this morning?” Xally’s tone was almost as if something was slowly dawning on her. A few seconds later, Emzadi realized the same thing.

“What?” Their shared expressions of amusement made Lucy nervous.

“Kaleb wakes with the sun. It’s part of his magic.”

“So he was already awake when I snuck out. And stole a kiss. And- fuck,” Lucy whined as she draped herself across Xally’s lap. The water mage barely resisted giggling as she patted Lucy’s head.

The two women stayed and talked for a while. Lucy enjoyed how blunt Emzadi was. It reminded her of Emery. The solar dragon thought her dad and brothers were being ridiculous trying to protect her.

Both Beck and Bickslow had told her about Emzadi’s attempts at mating. If she’d been bonded to Emzadi, she could’ve forced the mating. That phone call with her father had been loud, filled with expletives, and ended with Lucy crying into her knees. However, until Emzadi said something, she wouldn’t open that wound.

There was also a weird buzzing sensation around her. Like electricity. Similar to Laxus but not. She remembered Natsu having a similar sensation for the longest time.

When Lucy made an off-handed comment about needing more work clothes, Emzadi puled a change of clothes out of requip space, commandeered a shower, and dragged her sister and Lucy to shop. Then was thoroughly bored when Lucy insisted on conservative clothing because her boss made her skin crawl.

As they trudged back to Lucy’s apartment, Xally said to Lucy, “A bored Emi is the best one to shop with. We survived.”

“Barely.”

.~*~.

Flare giggled as the apartment building went up in flames. The newly orphaned girl was upstairs. She’d respond to building being on fire shortly.

 

The street was being cordoned off as people stared up at the small apartment building that was on fire. Most of the crowd was people from the building or surrounding buildings. It was patrol officers trying to keep anyone from getting too close while they waited for firefighters to arrive.

Cristoff had been preparing to walk away when he heard a gasp followed by a curse. That reaction seemed weird given the circumstance. He glanced at a woman who was glancing between the fire and the officers before darting passed them and into the building. He looked up at the building, wondering what could cause the petite woman to do that, and saw the child in the window. Waiting a moment, he ran in as well.

The heat was excruciating to Emery. Natsu’s flames couldn’t hurt her so she hadn’t really thought about how hot an inferno like that would be. Delphinus gave her an unamused look when he was summoned. Especially since the spirit couldn’t outright put out the flames with raising suspicion.

Cristoff had never been so glad for all those sparring sessions with Emzadi. While he wasn’t immune to the flames, they were nothing compared to the heat his sister was capable of.

There were many things he thought he might see in the hallway of the building. Two women fighting was not one of them. A red head in a tight dress with hair that seemed to be both feeding on and supporting the flames. The other was the woman he’d followed.

On some level, he registered that the woman must have been a celestial spirit mage since she was now accompanied by a man. The man appeared wet despite the heat. His clothing was so tight that he might as well have been naked. There was a gray fin sticking out of his back and flippers over top his hands.

“You’re not the right one,” the redhead said. “He’s going to be so mad.”

“Sorry to disappoint. How ‘bout I get the kid and we pretend this never happened?” Emery coughed. The smoke was getting to her and Delphinus could only help so much.

“No!”

Cristoff grabbed Emery as she yelled, “Scutum.” The spirit shielded them as the flames brought part of the ceiling down.

“There’s a kid,” she said.

“I know. You go. I’ve got her.”

“You sure?”

“The building structural integrity is compromised. You weigh less.”

Emery let out a small whimper when Delphinus was forced back to the celestial realm and quickly summoned Canes Venatici. “Asterion, help him. Chara, you’re with me.”

Cristoff blinked in surprise at the rapid succession of her summonings. The large dog ran out, dodging the woman’s hair, to bite her leg. That created enough of a distraction for Chara to lead Emery to the stairs and Cristoff to challenge the woman.

The large dog found the little girl. She’d fainted from the smoke but was small enough that Emery picked her up easily. At this point, Emery was coughing, and her vision was getting hazy from not enough oxygen. Even Chara was too concerned about her well-being to be her usual chatty self.

She got back downstairs where Cristoff had just knocked Flare out. The three spirits disappeared causing the dragon slayer turned to her with a relieved smile. The last thing she remembered thinking was, _Damn, he has a nice smile._

 

Emery woke up in a hospital bed with an oxygen mask on her face as well as the tubes in her nose. She blinked under the bright lights. There were bandages going up her arms for the flames and the woman’s hair. Her head felt too heavy to move but she glanced around and saw Lucy and Natsu. Her cousin had her head on Natsu’s shoulder and was tilting forward slightly before jerking back.

She took the mask off. “You’re in the same room.” Her voice was hoarse, but she was relieved to see Natsu and Lucy together.

Lucy jolted awake. “That was crazy stupid!” Her voice sounded like it couldn’t decide between indignation and relief.

“Kid-”

“Yeah. I know. She’s fine. The woman-”

“Flare Corona,” Natsu supplied.

“Yeah. Her. She killed the girl’s parents. Last I heard, they were getting a hold of her grandparents.”

The door opened and Cristoff walked in.

“Hi, Cris,” Lucy said. Her tone was tired, and she smacked Natsu’s chest when he started to puff it out.

“Hey. Guess this explains why I couldn’t heal you. I didn’t realize the immunity even meant that.”

“Yup.” Lucy nodded. “It’s a blanket immunity.”

“That’s why you insisted on me driving you home.”

“Yeah. Laxus has never been able to teleport me so I figured you wouldn’t be able to either. How long is she going to be here?”

“I’ve got another healer coming by to speed up the process, but she was brought in the mundane route, so we’ll need to keep her here for observation for a few days. Unfortunately, you can’t heal yourself like I can.” Cristoff walked over to meet Emery’s eyes easier. “The little girl’s grandmother just arrived. She’s in for a long recovery. There was a lot of damage to her lungs and airways.”

“Thanks.”

He grabbed her hand as she reached up to the nasal tube. “Leave it alone. You fainted from not getting enough oxygen. And don’t pick at the bandages. There’s a few decent burns.”

She rolled her eyes at him but lowered her hand.

“I also came by to tell you that visiting hours are over. I’m on shift so I’ll check in on her.”

“All right. Thanks.” Lucy kissed Emery’s temple. “I’m calling your mother.”

Emery groaned. Dealing with her mother’s fussing wasn’t something she needed.

“Oh hush. I’ll bring some books over tomorrow, ‘kay?”

“No, YA.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Lucy and Natsu left but Cristoff lingered.

“What you did today was brave and rather reckless. It was also sexy as fuck.”

“I wasn’t trying to be.”

“I know. Just don’t do it again.”

“Don’t plan on it. I’ll need to see if I can get Monoceros from my mother. Um…the girl. What’s her name?”

“Annabelle. Get some rest. I’ll check on you in a bit.”

Emery let herself doze off. Taking care of children was something she’d always wanted. It was why she taught kindergarten. If the situation came up again, she’d run in again.

.~*~.

Marinette looked up at Rhiannon when she walked out of her bedroom and frowned. The most notable change was that her bright red hair was temporarily dyed black. Rhiannon always had the eyebrow piercing in, occasionally the nose ring, but she rarely had all of her oral piercings in. Both snakebites were in and, though she couldn’t see it, Marinette was certain the barbell was in her tongue. The tongue piercing was enough to change her speech patterns and conceal that she was Caelish.

“What happened?”

“Don’ know. He wouldn’ say over the phone.” Her speech was always slower as she thought about her words.

“Be careful.” Marinette wanted to charm something for her but knew that one of the mages could nullify it. He’d even mocked her for it.

She smiled thinly. “If I’m not back-”

“If your back by tomorrow, send an alert to Odysseus.”

“That’s not the plan.”

“It’s what I’m going to do though.”

“All right. I should get going.”

That was the closest they ever got to acknowledging that she might not come back one of these days. This was her Faustian deal that got her out of Minstrel.

As usual, they met outside a beach café that overlooked the Grass Sea. The wi-fi was excellent because she’d paid for it to be. Whether the owners fully knew that she was doing something illegal, she didn’t know, but they’d accepted her help and money to support the wireless connection. She suspected that it was their way of trying to protect her from the man that she was meeting.

Ivan Dreyer would have been a good-looking man if there wasn’t an air of malevolence around him all the time. In the three years she’d known him, she’d grown out of the instinctive shudder when he was around.

At least he was alone. Jose Porla was a perv and the moment she found something concrete, she was sending it to Odysseus. And Acnologia… He terrified her. That she had such a strong reaction to him annoyed Ivan. But Rhiannon kept watch over him.

“Why do you insist on dressing like that?”

Rhiannon smirked slightly. Her outfit had been drawing surprised looks. She wore boots, fishnets under her shorts, and a S.T.R.S. band t-shirt. It was a different look from the looser and thinner fabrics found in Boscan clothing. The laptop that was already out had ridiculous stickers on it; her favorite being ‘Not my monkeys. Not my circus.’

“Why am I here?”

“Flare got herself captured.”

“Well, yeah. She’s batshit crazy. That was bound to happen.”

“How many fingers do you need to type with? Just scrub her information.”

“Can’t Grandice-”

“I don’t want to deal with him.” His tone was almost a snarl. Enough so that a few people nearby glanced over with concerned looks.

“Fine. Getting into the police station is easy enough,” she said, talking as she typed. “But if the Steel Council has already moved to put her in tir-na-nog custody, it’ll be next to impossible to do anything. MBT helped design their protections. The Steel Council red flags any mages that go into the system. I’ll get rid of that.”

“Get her out.”

“I can’t. She’s been booked. I do anything and it’ll raise suspicion with the Steel Council and with the Peacekeepers. The best I can do is make sure she’s booked in Milesian courts. Given that her crimes were against Milesians, that should be easy enough to keep anyone from asking too many questions.” She silently worked before musing, “You usually keep her on a shorter leash than this.”

“Had to try baiting Heartfilia but she screwed up. Acnologia is getting impatient.”

Rhiannon flinched with something that was in the general vicinity of sympathy. Her fear of Acnologia trumped her hatred of Ivan.

“It’s done.”

“Good.” Ivan stood.

“What are you planning?”

The man paused. “We’re stepping out of the shadows.”

Rhiannon froze as she stared at Ivan’s departing back. There’d been talks for years over stepping out of the shadows. It was part of Kaleb Pradesh’s argument in support of his company. The one thing that was always agreed upon was the potential bloodshed that it would cause.

She opened the window to send a message to Odysseus but froze. Despite the friendship she had with the man, she had nothing to support that the Steel Council had gone against it’s primary mandate: keeping mages safe and secret.

.~*~.

It was a few days before Farron was able to get to the university. The school was one of his alma maters and they didn’t bat an eye when he walked into the private, magical text library. To most of the school, the building was owned by the alumni society and run by the school. There were many theories about the building that was tucked to the edge of campus with its private gate in the red brick wall surrounding campus.

The book was an untitled, anonymous, incomplete dissertation about the first dragon slayers and the relationship between them and the queens that would become the Heartfilia family. He flipped to the sketch that did bare a remarkable similarity to the recent photo despite being over four hundred years old. When he saw who the writer posited was the subject of the sketch, he froze. Acnologia.

There wasn’t much left of the book after that. The works cited was absent, but the footnotes were present. As he skimmed through them, he found a familiar name. Farron checked the time and hoped the professor was still in her office.

“Dr. Theiss?” The woman looked up from the papers she was grading and smiled.

“Farron, how good to see you.” She stood and walked around the desk to hug him. “How’s your father?”

“He’s good. Still working for the consulate.” Dr. Theiss was a woman in her early seventies. She only taught two classes a semester anymore but was a sought after as a thesis advisor. One was a history course on the founding of Ishgar that was for the Milesians. Arman, Farron, Kaleb, and Zen had all taken her class covering the beginning of tir-na-nog.

“Tell him not to work too hard. Haven’t had a Pradesh in my office since Zen was here.”

“He still is. Just over in the engineering department now.”

She smiled and sat back down. “Good for him. Now what can I do for you?”

“Were you the thesis advisor for this?” He sat down and passed the book over. Even before her expression acknowledged it, he heard her soul sigh softly. There was a bit of pain over the author of the book.

“Yes.”

“Why did the school publish an unfinished dissertation?”

“Because I asked nicely. She went missing one day. About six months after the last time anyone had seen her, I received it in the mail.

“You have to understand. When she first started becoming paranoid, I dismissed it. There were a few times, lost treasure and the like, when a researcher might have reason to be paranoid. But this-” Dr. Theiss shook her head. “It wasn’t until one day, when her office was ransacked, that I started to take her serious.”

“It’s unfinished. Do you know where she was going with this?”

“A bit. As you know, the Étoile family was the royal family of all mages. They ruled alongside various kings and queens around Ishgar before the unification. Ares created the first generation of dragon slayers, abandoned them, then Hestia makes the deal with Anna Étoile to protect us and them.

“The Heartfilias are private about how exactly their magic works, but sources say that within the year, all but one dragon had been subdued. This-” she tapped the sketch- “is supposed to be Acnologia. The one that couldn’t be subdued.

“Most historians believe that Anna and Acnologia must’ve fought and killed each other because no one saw Acnologia again and Anna would die shortly after at home. The woman that wrote this said Anna’s symptoms sounded like magic depletion. In a normal fight, a mage would simply faint.”

“But a large spell could instantly deplete beyond the recovery point,” Farron said.

“Correct. Something she found to support that idea was amongst the royal library at the Acadame. Anna had one of the only remaining books by Warin Heincast. A few of the pages were torn out. From other sources, we believe that it was sealing spell which she used on Acnologia.”

“Alive?”

“Possibly. But it’s been four hundred years- That’s not possible.” Dr. Theiss was staring at the photo Farron showed her from his phone.

“I have a friend who has…interesting sources of information. He found this.”

“She was right,” Dr. Theiss breathed. “I can’t believe she was right.”

“She thought he might still be alive?”

The professor nodded. “It’s why she believed that they were after her. That she might have an idea of where he’d been buried. She wanted me to make sure the book ended up here. If they were willing to kill for the information, it would probably need to be known.”

“Whose dissertation was this?”

“Nurem Mayar.”

 

Farron got back to his office, dropped off his bag, and walked into Kaleb’s office. He was already calling their father as he entered without knocking, his magic confirming his presence. With the call on speaker, he relayed everything he’d learned at the university.

“We need to tell Lucy and Cris,” Farron said.

“Of course we’ll tell Cris but-”

“No,” Kaleb interjected. “Lucy’s right. She’s a grown woman and she deserves to be treated as such.”

“You’re right. I just worry.”

“I know. Lucy said Emery should be getting out of the hospital this afternoon so why don’t we call everyone for dinner,” Farron said.

Kaleb resisted the urge to be annoyed that Farron knew that. The Monday after she slept at his house, she’d broken up with Hibiki. It was something both Thane and Thessaly had commented on as it spread through grapevine. Thessaly even teased him in a way only his siblings would have.

Hestor, when he found out, was outright obnoxious. Especially when Lucy admitted to having not spoken to Kaleb. _Lucy and Kaleb sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s- Oh wait. Never mind._

If not for Farron and Beck both telling him to wait for her to come to him, he’d have shown up at her apartment or in her office again.

“Sounds like a plan. I’ll call Mr. Elan,” Arman said before hanging up.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes. Just think how awkward this meal will be.”

“Van and Bix can cut through any tension.”

Kaleb snickered.

.~*~.

Things were starting to get back to a semblance of normal. Lucy and Natsu were talking after Natsu groveled for her forgiveness. That it had to do with the fact that her higher paying job meant she could afford to eat out or in the canteen at MBT and so there was no food in the apartment didn’t stop her from accepting his apology.

They were headed to the hospital to pick up Emery when Natsu bumped into a man. The two were talking and didn’t think much of it until Natsu stopped, his nose seeming to twitch.

“What is it?” Lucy asked as she turned with him.

The man that was staring at them with narrowed eyes was attractive. He had dark tan skin and spiky, maroon hair. Almost immediately, she recognized his magic.

“I’ve never fought another dragon,” he said before launching at Natsu.

Natsu followed the move but struggled to land a blow on the man.

“I’m Cobra, the poison dragon.”

Noticing that his attacks were affecting people struggling to flee, Lucy pulled out a glass key from her requip space. The Celestial King bestowed each generation of Heartfilias twelve glass keys that could be used once to summon any spirit who had a contract with the family. While Emery didn’t receive the glass keys, her contracts still counted. The gift made more sense now that she knew she was supposed to be the star maiden.

“Open, gate of the shield, Scutum!” The key shattered and dissolved when the spirit appeared. “Keep the poison off them.”

Natsu and Cobra were trading attacks as if they weren’t in public. While Natsu was a bit more controlled, Cobra didn’t seem to care. His arms had become draconic with scales and claws. The effects of the poison were quickly affecting the fire dragon and his flames were going wild and hitting the buildings.

“Enough!” Lucy shouted, jumping between two roars. At first, Cobra mentally scoffed at her attempts to stop his attack until he realized that the roar had disappeared.

“How did you do that?” he demanded. He couldn’t hear her and as she slowly approached, he found himself stepping back.

“It’s all right. Come on home.”

“I don’t-”

She grabbed him and kissed him. It was chaste kiss but also felt deeper than any not-so-chaste kisses. She moved his head so that his forehead was pressed against hers and he felt her. Felt her magic wrap around him and soothe a lifetime of hurts.

“You are safe and you are home.” She released him, stepped back, and smiled.

“Who are you?”

“Lucy Heartfilia, the dragon tamer.” Behind her, Natsu snickered at the moniker, but as she looked up at him, her eyes glistened. “You should have found me sooner. I’m so sorry you didn’t.”

He dropped to his knees and she let him press his face into her abdomen and cried. When Laxus had bonded with her mother, he’d cried as well. One account she’d read described the feeling as all the pain from being a dragon without a Heartfilia washing away.

She remained in his grip but turned to look at Natsu. ‘Text Emery,’ she mouthed, and he nodded.

.~*~.

“She’s late,” Emery muttered, sitting in her wheelchair. “That’s unlike her. Natsu sure, but not Lucy.”

“If she’s not here in fifteen, I’ll drive you to her apartment,” Cristoff said.

During her stay, they’d become decent friends. While he was an in-demand surgeon, he often had a lot of downtime in between his other duties. That time was spent in her room. Enough so that by the third day, the nurses were just showing up when the needed him.

It had started when he came to check on her and she was reading a trashy romance novel.

 _“You know, I’d buy a romance novel with you on the cover,”_ she had said teasingly.

_“If you want to see me shirtless, all you have to do is ask.”_

He’d been surprised with himself over the flirting. Not that she wasn’t beautiful, she was. Though not the same, large doe-eyed look as Lucy, she shared the chocolate brown color that were easily the windows to her soul. Her hair was a mixture of ash blonde and heather that she usually kept pulled back.

After a conversation complaining about the hospital’s supplied shampoo and conditioner, he’d wondered what it would be like to run his hands through it. While her arms were still bandaged, the burns were healed so he’d snuck her in some decent shampoo that she’d kissed him for.

“Do you run?”

“Not unless something is chasing after me. Or a five-year-old is making a break for it. Why?”

“Just wanted to see if you’d like to go for a run with me.”

“Not a chance in hell. Doubt I could keep up anyways.” She rolled her shoulders. “No. The only things in my future are _my_ -ish bed, attempting this damned paperwork to get into a classroom in the fall, and going for a swim.”

Cristoff’s eyes unabashedly roved her figure. “That I wouldn’t mind seeing.”

She turned away from him as if they didn’t both know she was turning pink. “Saved by the bell,” she muttered when her cell phone went off. “Oh.”

“What?”

“Lucy just bonded her first dragon.”


	11. A Few Answers

“This is your place?” Erik asked, gawking at the Pradesh manor.

“I have my own apartment near the hospital, but this will always be home,” Cristoff answer as he pulled up the long driveway.

Lucy sent Natsu home. There was no reason for him to be there. Normally, Erik wouldn’t need to be there either, but part of the bond settling would make him exceptionally clingy for a while. She could already see him warring with himself over it. Especially as her influence settled more and more. Gajeel was a bit like that too. When his bond shifted to Lucy, he spent a lot of time complaining about her personality filtering through.

“Dad?” Cristoff called.

“Library.”

The library in the Pradesh house was easily Lucy’s favorite room. There was a large table that Lucy could imagine all of the Pradesh children sitting at while they did their homework. She vaguely remembered do that during the winters she’d spend there. The couches that curved around the fireplace were perfect for curling up on the rare cold day.

“Farron and Kaleb will be here in a minute,” Arman said. Outside, they heard Vander’s motorcycle. “He’d better not mess up the gravel again.” He turned to look at the two people he didn’t know. There was no hiding that Emery was a Heartfilia. The man confused him. “And you are?”

“Erik.”

“Cobra.”

Lucy turned to look at Erik with a bland look. “Your name is Erik Wehr. I’m not calling you Cobra.”

Arman watched how Erik gravitated to Lucy. When she sat down on the couch, he instinctively sat down next to her. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye but didn’t otherwise react. Gajeel had been brought to the Heartfilia Estate during one of the Pradesh visits. He remembered how the boy hovered around Layla for a while as well.

“You’re a dragon slayer.” It was a statement, but Lucy nodded.

“My first bonded.”

With Lucy bonded, it was probably for the best that they told her everything.

“Well, hello handsome,” Vander said when he entered. His crimson eyes surveyed Erik and smirked.

Lucy rolled her eyes. She could feel Erik’s surprise then mutual interest. Her mother said it could take a week or more for the dragon’s emotions to stop carrying over.

“No. Just no.”

“Why not?” Vander asked.

“Until the bonding settles, I feel everything. I don’t want vicarious sex.”

“How long will that last?” Erik asked. Her instinctive sweetness was giving him a cavity.

“Hopefully only a week. I’ll always be able to sense somethings. Especially if I focus. Like, if I focused on Laxus, he’d be able to sense me too. Mom said that it was so they’d always know that they’re not alone.”

“Dad?” Farron called.

“Library.”

The two eldest sons entered, followed by Emzadi.

“I can’t stay long. I might get called back to the fire station. Is Bix coming?”

“He’s still at work. Xally is too. Zen should be here in a minute,” Arman said.

Lucy introduced Erik to the new arrivals. Like Arman, Farron seemed to acknowledge that Erik’s existence meant that it was time to reveal the rest of what they knew.

Farron and Arman were fascinated to learn that part of Erik’s abilities worked similarly to theirs. Though neither mentioned it, they realized that was why Erik was snuggling into Lucy at small increments. She didn’t comment since it wasn’t unusual considering the bond. Or that she was a naturally cuddly person as well. Instead, she remained completely oblivious to Erik’s amused smirks at Kaleb behind her back.

The conversation stayed light as they waited for Zen to arrive. Partially to remind Kaleb that Lucy would sense any attempts to push Erik. That didn’t stop his internalized annoyance from filtering into the family link.

“You’re alone,” Lucy commented when Zen arrived without Hestor.

“Yeah. He pulled his disappearing act. It has something to do with his magic, but I don’t push.”

Farron closed his eyes and centered himself before starting to tell what he’d found out about the royal Étoile family and the first dragon slayers. As soon as he mentioned that the dissertation was written by Nurem and that she thought she might be killed for what she knew, he heard the pain in Cristoff’s soul.

“My mother might be-”

“You don’t know that,” Emery said, reaching over to squeeze his hand. He’d chided her for being annoyed with her mother’s fussing and told her how much he wanted to find his own.

“Any ideas on why the Star Maiden abdicated?” Lucy asked.

“Best guess-”

“I think I know,” Emery interjected. “Courtesy of a week with nothing better to do and my mother calling daily- thanks for that, by the way,” she added, her tone sarcastic. “I might know the answer that.

“I had Mom send me scans of some of her source material. Now, Mom doesn’t know about Zen and his magic, so she misunderstood. There are references to the Watchers made human.”

“As in the Ivory keys?” Arman asked. “The Watchers of Enoch.”

“I think so. There are three sets of keys that are superior to the rest: the gold Zodiac keys, the ivory Watchers of Enoch, and the obsidian Hall of Two Truths. So it makes sense that they’d know about them.”

“What else did the books say?” Zen asked, his focus solely on Emery.

“Even though mages were fighting the dragon slayers too, the Milesians turned against the mages in general. It seems that the archangels were part of the deal between Anna Étoile and Hestia. Evelyn, her granddaughter, stepped down because the celestial mages that were supposed to partner with the archangels started abusing the bond and the compulsion. It only took fifty years for the magic to die out. The last one disappeared, presumed dead. And most didn’t get the chance to mate so there weren’t archangel offspring.

"She was so disgusted that she hoped that tir-na-nog would burn without a leader. Mom never understood that since she didn't know the archangels were separate from the watchers. The watchers and the judges chose who they made contracts with. And they could choose to undo a contract as the queen saw fit."

Zen stood and walked out.

“Stay,” Lucy said to Erik before following Zen out. She followed him out to the beach and sat down next to him. They sat there in silence for a minute.

“I’m the only one. Properly the only one,” he said finally.

“Quite possibly,” Lucy said. “I’m sorry. They were able to protect the dragon slayers but not the archangels.”

“I-” He sighed. “I don’t know how I feel.”

“That’s fair. Have you thought about it? Mating, I mean.”

“You and Hestor are the only celestial spirit mages I know well. I know other celestial mages or holy mages could work but- I don’t know. Boscans swing both ways but after Sky Reach-”

“I understand. Sorta. I read about it. I know it was worse to live.”

“Some of the reporting is badly written enough to be pretty painful,” he joked, turning enough that she could see his small smile.

“Dragon slayers are all pansexual because there’s no guarantee of their mate’s gender, but I remember Laxus struggling with that aspect of himself. It ended up being Bickslow that would show him-” she made a strange face as she tried to think of the right word which made Zen smile- “the ropes.” She said the words with so much confusion that Zen chuckled.

“Speaking of-” he said as they heard a new car pull up. “You’re new dragon. He’s been around some dark magic.”

“I know. I haven’t gotten the chance to talk to him about it yet.”

“Will you?”

“Of course. I’m not sure I like Hestor, but I’m glad he’s been around to protect you. C’mon. Before your brother seduces him. I don’t want to feel them having sex.”

The two stood.

“Lucy-”

“Hm?” She turned look at him with a quizzical look.

He knew Farron wasn’t vying for her heart, but Kaleb still was. Even if he’d only meant to offer pleasure in retaliation for anything Vander did with Erik, this was one woman that couldn’t be shared. “Nothing. Never mind.”

She blinked and looked as if she didn’t believe him but didn’t say anything.

“Oi! Tink! Dinner is served,” Bickslow yelled from about halfway between the door and where they stood.

She ran and jumped onto Bickslow’s back. He automatically caught her thighs and hiked her up.

“Have you talked to Laxus?” he asked.

“Nope. Not ‘til he breaks.”

The seith mage snorted. “Like that’s gonna happen. I put money that something in your apartment breaks and you have to call him to fix it first.”

“Psh. I have a landlord for that. Or, depending on what it is, Gajeel.”

“Not even going to pretend Natsu can.”

“Do you remember what happened to you know _anything_ that he’s tried to fix?”

“I know.”

Dinner was comfortable. Bickslow and Vander joked. Generally dirty jokes that half the table was surprised Lucy understood until she pointed out that she’d known Bickslow since she was fourteen.

Since Cristoff lived the closest to Lucy’s apartment and Emery’s suite, he offered to drive them home.

“Lucy.” Kaleb caught her before they left. Understanding what he was planning, Cristoff dragged Erik out the door with him and Emery.

“Yeah?”

“Would you like to go out on a date with me?”

She blinked. “No.”

“Uh…really?”

“I’ve had a lot of people talking at me the last few weeks. Telling me who I am. So much so that I’m not entirely sure _who_ I am anymore. The last thing that I need right now is to add one more person- one more role- into the mix.”

Her brows were furrowed as she looked up at him. As pretty as his lavender eyes were, she was both missed the darker violet and was grateful they were gone. The lavender elicited a different kind of putty in the pit of her stomach. The desire to wrap her arms around him and have him hold her wasn’t going anywhere either.

“I understand.”

“I do think that we should get dinner at some point though.”

“All right.”

As soon as the door closed behind her, Vander appeared behind Kaleb. “Ouch.”

“Shut up.”

.~*~.

Dean Kalperden was both surprised and relieved to see Hestor at his door. There’d been a time that he’d been certain that Hestor would join the Disciples of Asteria and stay at the school indefinitely. Then Arman requested a celestial spirit mage to join Kaleb’s team to retrieve Zen.

The dean of Acadame Celestine was one of the only people that knew about Zen’s magic and the compulsion. At the time of his rescue, neither he or Arman had known about the compulsion, but Arman knew that celestial spirit mages and archangels were closely aligned. It was something that Ganier had discovered when trying to understand her little boy’s wings. Between the flexibility of a spirit mage’s capabilities and connection, Arman thought that the son he hadn’t seen since he was three might need something else to connect to.

Sending Hestor, knowing his keys, concerned him, but he was undoubtedly the most capable of the summoners at the school. Especially since he trained physically as much as magically.

The presence of the mage had helped Zen adapt to being free. Maat and Ammit’s surprising protectiveness of the archangel warned off any celestial-type mages that could bind the archangel. Every few months though, he’d come to the school and spend a few days meditating.

It was during one of those sessions that Hestor admitted that some of his obsidian keys wanted him to claim the archangel against his will. Urged him. It was only Maat and Ammit that stopped him and the spirits. He got the impression that the two leaders were waiting for something and wanted him to be ready. That they had no real opposition to him claiming the other man except for a reason they kept to themselves.

“How are you?” Kalperden could see the bags under his eyes. They stood out in comparison to fairness of his skin.

“I can’t sleep. They talk so loud. And the others are screaming louder than Maat and Ammit.”

“What are they saying?”

“They want Lucy Heartfilia dead. So much. We were sparring and if Zen hadn’t been there to pull me off…” Hestor trailed off and Kalperden pulled him into a hug. The man shook.

“Come on.”

The room had thickly padded floors with a folded blanket and pillow in the corner. Most of the light came from the small windows near the ceiling. The walls had carved stellarium in quartz in them. The stellarium would help channel the celestial magic while the quartz kept it from being so overpowering to make the mage magic drunk.

“Did you need broth to tide you until supper?”

“Please.”

Hestor removed his shoes and shirt as he walked to the center of the room and sat down. The older man watched with a sympathetic look before silently shutting the door.

.~*~.

Kaleb frowned when he noticed the blimp in the screen. It was the third time that he thought he’d seen something. Attempting to back hack didn’t lead to an answer but a familiar code.

_Farron, come over here for a sec._

His older brother walked in a moment.

“Is this what I think it is?”

“Oz’s code, yeah. I’ll see what he’s doing in my office.”

“Why does it have to be in your office? You two writing each other sexually explicit messages?”

Farron turned and gave his brother a look that said, ‘really?’ and verbally said, “No, but he’s the first man that I wouldn’t want to share.”

**Odysseus: Why are you poking around our inventions?**

**Oz_Pinhead: No idea what you’re talking about.**

**Odysseus: I know your signature.**

**Oz_Pinhead: I needed a listening device.**

**Odysseus: Why?**

**Oz_Pinhead: I made a deal with the devil and he’s expecting payment.**

**Odysseus: Are you in danger? I can help.**

**Oz_Pinhead: I could use the listening device.**

**Odysseus: Let me help you.**

**Oz_Pinhead: I am. I’m asking. You can’t do more than that.**

Farron got up and walked across the hall. “He’s asking because he’s in danger.”

Kaleb frowned. Oz may not have been one of his mages but leaving the man that was friends with his brother out to dry wasn’t something that he wanted to do either.

“Do you trust him? Trust that it’s not an espionage angle?”

“Yes.”

“Then do it. I’ll send you the one we made for Vander.”

“Thanks.”

**Odysseus: Do you need us to make it? I can set up a drop.**

**Oz_Pinhead: I built my computer. I’m pretty sure I can manage this.**

**Odysseus: Explains why I can’t hack it.**

**Odysseus: VJP2938v2.pdf**

**Oz_Pinhead: How did you get that so easily?**

**Odysseus: I asked nicely.**

**Oz_Pinhead: I’ll have to try that more often.**

**Oz_Pinhead: Thank you.**

 

Marinette kept squaring her shoulder and walking toward the courtyard between Agreste Fashions and Mare Bianco Technologies then changing her mind.

“I can do it if ye want,” Rhiannon said into the earpiece that Marinette was wearing.

“No. I wanna do it. It’s just one guy. One beautiful, sexy, brilliant guy that I might be in love with and-”

“This donnae sound like ye psyching yerself up.”

“I am. I am.”

_“This is Chat Noir,” Marinette said, showing Rhiannon her screen. The man the screenshot was of had blond hair that was shorter than the norm in Bosco. He had pretty green eyes and a nice smile. He was leaning back in his chair so the fact that he was fit was visible._

_“He sent ye this?”_

_“No… I hacked his camera.”_

_“What?!” Rhiannon grabbed Marinette’s laptop from her hands and was already opening the command screen with her thumb over the camera._

_“What? You hack into computers all the time.”_

_“Not the cameras. They’re tae easy tae back hack.”_

_“Is that why you don’t know Odysseus’s appearance?”_

_“Aye.”_

_“But you want to.”_

_“I- Nice try.”_

Marinette walked into the courtyard as Chat Noir was standing up from the table where he was eating lunch. This close to him, it was hard to imagine him as the corny Chat Noir that she talked to every night.

Adrien Agreste was a model. Strictly for his father’s brand so he was a little better known than men like Cristoff Pradesh who modeled Elluris Fashions. Since Elluris was strictly magewear it didn’t get the circulation Agreste Fashions did. Marinette would give a leg to design for either brand.

He was tall but not exceptionally so. Compared to models like Cristoff, he favored lean muscles, but his fitted clothing show that they were definitely there.

She deliberately bumped into him.

“Oh my gods. Goodness, I’m so so sorry.” Her cheeks flushed red as she felt the muscles underneath his shirt as she made a show of dusting off the long cold cinnamon pretzel that Rhiannon had given her for this ploy. As she did, she slipped the small device into his pocket.

“It’s all right. Especially if it means that I get the name of a beautiful woman.”

“I um I uh Marinette. Me. I’m Marinette.”

“It’s awesome to meet you, Marinette,” he said, taking her offered hand and kissing her knuckles.

She squeaked then blushed at how unattractive that sound was, but he just smiled.

“Well, Marinette. Let’s just hope to meet again. Unless you want to give me your number and we can make sure to meet again.”

“Uh… Oh I work at Dupain-Cheng bakery. Best bakery in Pelerno.”

“My dietician might hate me for it, but I definitely feel my sweet tooth growing back. Goodbye.” She hadn’t realized that her hand was still in his until he kissed her knuckles again.

Rhiannon ran over and caught Marinette before she could faint.

“Breathe.”

“Breathe. Right. I’m breathing.”

“Did ye do it?”

“Yeah.”

“Thank ye.”

 

Rhiannon had tweaked the design so that it emitted a high-pitched noise beyond the human capabilities. If it worked the way she hoped, the signal would create a bug of sorts in his cellphone that would cause enough interference that he’d plug it into his computer to run a diagnostic. She’d give the man, or somebody, props for making sure no one used their private computers on their wireless connection.

“You do appreciate the irony of using their own technology to hack them, right?” Marinette asked from the kitchen.

“Yes,” Rhiannon said, staring at the screen.

By her estimates, the plan had a 23 percent chance of success, but she was getting desperate. Time was an issue, but she’d also seen how heavy Marinette and Chat Noir were talking. Sabine, Marinette’s mother, had even commented on it. As soon as Marinette got home, she was on her computer talking to him. The last thing Rhiannon wanted was for Chat Noir to find out his Ladybug was using him to gain access to their computers.

“When will you know?” Marinette asked, bringing over a plate.

“I should ‘ave by now.”

“It’s not like you to try something that you’re expecting to fail.”

“Yer Chat Noir probably won’ be happy tae find out we used him tae hack intae MBT.”

“I know. I accept that. Now eat.”

“Since when ye my mum?”

“Since yours was a bitch.”

Rhiannon snorted, but didn’t argue.

.~*~.

“It didn’t work and now I’ve lost my best mage!” Brain roared.

Acnologia walked behind him and snapped his neck. “I feel better. I thought for sure that would awaken the Star Maiden.” He turned his hard gaze onto Ivan. “You seem almost relieved.”

“An illusion, I assure you.”

“No. You’ve never wanted him around you or me. Much less together. Why?”

Ivan swallowed hard. The dragon was summoning his magic to create an oppressive heaviness.

“I can start on your pets instead of his,” Acnologia threatened.

“He’s a soul listener,” Ivan choked.

“Interesting.” His eyes narrowed as he moved to loom over the sitting mage. “You didn’t want him to tell where she is.”

“He couldn’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t know. The bitch only knows that they didn’t believe that they killed her.”

“What does that mean?”

“That she’s probably sleeping. Reincarnated.” Ivan’s face was turning red and his voice was wispy as he choked.

“Good. I can work with that,” Acnologia said.

Ivan gasped for air as Acnologia turned to leave. “Where are you going?”

“Without him,” he nodded to the body, “the rest of them are useless.”

Acnologia made quick work of Racer, Hoteye, and Midnight. It was the girl that took him time to find.

“Open, gate of the watcher of fire! Michael!” Angel yelled, knowing that the spirit hadn’t made a contract but hoping it would save her.

Michael had long, black hair, red-orange eyes, and olive skin. He wore loose, white pants and a long, white coat with red trim that was open to reveal sculpted muscles. His white wings were folded against his back. He responded to the summoning because he could sense Angel’s terror.

“How are you still alive?” Michael asked.

“I remember you. But you’re not contracted to the quim, are you?”

It was a weak roar, but it was enough to send back the watcher. Acnologia walked over and lifted Angel up by the neck.

“You might be of some use after all.”


	12. Preparations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's actually fluffy for once!

Lucy rolled her shoulders before sitting on the ground for her cool down stretches. Somehow, Cristoff and Zen had talked her into running with them. She was dying.

“Need one of us to carry you?” Zen asked with a hint of amusement in his voice.

“I hate you both.”

Zen squatted down and rubbed her calves and thighs. He focused his healing into his touch so that pain lessened to a dull ache.

“Mm…” she whimpered.

“That was barely decent,” Cristoff teased.

Lucy flipped him off then gratefully climbed onto Zen’s back when he turned. He shuddered as he felt her magic through the bands that protected him from celestial mages’ magic. The feel of her soft hands on his shoulders and chest didn’t help.

“Come on. I think you’ve earned a smoothie.”

“Thank the stars for that,” she said, resting her head on his shoulder. “When do you need to get to the hospital?”

“In a bit. Think you can manage on your own. I can just shower there.”

“I’m good,” Zen said.

The dragon slayer took off the opposite direction. They were headed to a smoothie bar near the park. It was a tir-na-nog business. They recognized Lucy and Zen and automatically put a recovery potion in Lucy’s smoothie if she went in with the man.

“How long do you think you’ll be able to keep working from home?” Zen asked.

“As long as possible.”

So far, only Juvia, a woman that had worked for Jose, had noticed that she only went in for about an hour a day. While she hadn’t confronted them about it, Farron acknowledged that the company was run by mages and that they were doing something shady, but he wasn’t sure what yet. As long as her paycheck still ended up in her account, she really didn’t care. The goal had been to get her to Pelerno after all.

“I’m pretty sure you’re going to kill her one of these days,” Sabrina, the teenager that made Lucy’s smoothie, said.

“See? I’m not the only one,” Lucy said, sticking her tongue out at him.

“Be careful or I might bite that tongue,” he whispered.

Lucy jumped, squeaked, and turned bright pink.

“She’s the color of her smoothie,” Sabrina commented.

“Whose side are you on?”

“Whichever gets me the best tip,” she answered with a cheeky grin that had Zen and Lucy both adding an extra dollar to the tip jar.

“Woo! My evil plan succeeded.”

The two were laughing as the left the shop. Zen always walked her home, though it was the opposite direction from campus.

“What are your plans for your birthday? I know Dad wants to throw a big bash after missing over a decade of them.”

“I know. And honestly, I don’t know _what_ I want to do. I think I’d like to just have a bar-b-que at the Pradesh manor or something. The girls already have plans to go dancing at Heorot.

“Dad’s flying in for the day of. We’ll probably go somewhere ridiculously fancy to eat that I’ll need to buy a new dress for and have an awkward conversation since we haven’t really talked since finding out about tir-na-nog beyond a few arguments.”

“Sounds exciting. I know we usually have a bar-b-que for Unification Day. You, Natsu, and Emery are invited, of course.” He sighed when he saw Lucy’s arched look and added, “Erik too.”

“You put up with Hestor, so I don’t wanna hear it.”

Zen wasn’t good at keeping his feelings to himself. Even little teases slipped out against his will. The darkness surrounding the new dragon wasn’t demonic, but it was enough to set him on edge.

The poison dragon had told Lucy everything. Went with Vander to Oracion Seis’s hideout only to find most of them dead. Angel’s absence, especially after finding out that she was a celestial spirit mage, worried Lucy.

Farron had started looking into Kinana, a childhood friend of Erik’s. He hadn’t seen her since he took the wrap for a burglary when they were teenagers. That was how Brain found him.

“He was a Fomorian that only reneged because of the bond.”

“The bond didn’t force him to tell us everything. He did that on his own.”

She was getting tired of having this argument. It had taken letting Kaleb poke around in Erik’s head to get the most of the Pradeshes to back off. Only Arman, who’d seen Igneel and Sage around Layla many times, knew that a dragon not only couldn’t but wouldn’t hurt a Heartfilia if bonded. Even after their bonds with her broke after mating.

“How exactly does the whole Heartfilia thing work?”

“Generally, it’s passed down. Laxus is a rare case. It’s one thing for trait to skip one or even two generations, but Mom had to dig into the archives to find Laxus’s ancestor. I offered to do the same for Erik, but he said he didn’t care who his family was.”

“Have you known it to skip generations?”

“It skipped Natsu’s older brother, Zeref. And Erza’s a bit complicated.”

“That’s the redhead you were with at Heorot?”

“Yup. She’s called dibs the weekend before my birthday for another girls’ night. Levy, Xally, Emery, and Emi are all going too.”

“Erza?”

“Oh right. She gets the magic from both sides. Her dad, Sage, is a dragon. So was her maternal grandmother. But it skipped both her and her mother. My mom grew up with Irene and Sage, much like I did with Natsu and Laxus. Grandma Lilliana let Irene stay, even though she wasn’t a dragon slayer, because she could tell that Irene and Sage were mates because of how fast and quickly they connected.”

“I’ve heard you and others use the term dragon and dragon slayers synonymously.”

“According to Draco, the dragon celestial spirit, he fought Ares’ greatest warrior and won. When Ares created the magic, he used Draco as inspiration. Named his warriors ‘dragon slayers’ after him.”

“Oh. That’s neat.”

She smiled up at him when they reached her apartment. “Thanks. Even if these workouts are gonna kill me one of these days.”

“Like I’d let that happen.” On an impulse, he leaned down and kissed her cheek.

“Bye, Zen. Don’t be late to class.”

“Bye, Bumblebee,” he said, borrowing Vander’s teasing nickname.

.~*~.

Gajeel opened the door to find a giant stuffed animal. The brown bear was around five feet and a half tall with a giant red ribbon tied around its neck.

“Move,” Natsu said from behind it.

The iron dragon went to close the door only for one of the stuffed legs to stop it from shutting.

“Come on, damnit. I can’t hide it at my apartment.”

“That’s because that fucking thing is bigger than Lucy.”

“What’s-” Levy’s voice cut off as she started giggling. “You know, this passive aggressive gift was is getting ridiculous, right?”

“Levs, make him move,” Natsu whined.

“Why are you bringing it here?” Levy said as she elbowed Gajeel to move.

“Because it’s a week ‘til Luce’s birthday and there’s no way I can hide it in our apartment. Erik would tell her just to be an ass.”

“Yeah. I like him. Been training with them at MBT.”

“Of course, you do.”

“Don’t know why ya don’t just propose so she can shoot ya down and we can all move on,” Gajeel said gruffly as he flopped onto the couch. He grunted when Levy, who was helping steer Natsu through the cramped living room, smacked him in the back of his head.

“We can put it in the spare.”

Levy’s logic in renting the two bedroom apartment that they could just barely afford was that it was in a good location in relation to the university where she was a graduate student and the Gajeel’s job. Since they were mated, there was always the chance that she could end up accidentally pregnant and this way, they wouldn’t need to find a new apartment.

“What are you going to do with all these books when your pregnant?”

She glanced around the room with a narrowed, speculative look. “Gajeel, we need a thr-”

“Not gonna happen.”

“But I need space for the babies!”

“Ours or your books?”

“Both.”

With the bear safely tucked away, Natsu snuck out to leave them to their argument.

.~*~.

Vander walked into the familiar bar. It was dark, dingy, and looked like the type of place where illegal things were happening. Which was the goal. At face value, it looked like a crime den. In actuality, it was run by the Steel Council.

The bartender didn’t react to his presence beyond pouring his usual scotch. He was watching a group in the corner and had probably already called someone to pick them up in a bit. Busts never happened in the establishment so that criminals never noticed the pattern.

“Haven’t seen you in a while,” a woman said as she took the seat next to him.

Already recognizing the voice, Vander grinned. Nesryn Blackwell looked every bit the posh princess she was. Their families should be much closer except their fathers hated one another. One particular point of contention was Nesryn.

Nesryn’s brown hair was in a loose knot that almost looked disheveled, her blue-green eyes were accented with make-up, and her green dress clung to every curve.

“You too. Why are you here?”

“Grandice didn’t have an assignment for me,” she said with a shrug.

Nesryn didn’t do solo assignments. She was rotated amongst groups. Had worked with him and Presca a few times. Her magic was better for creating diversions.

Vander’s gaze turned speculative. “You’re a woman.”

“You would know. You’ve been down there.” That wicked smirk almost had him pulling her into a privacy room. He’d only stopped in because shopping made him want alcohol, but he’d definitely take what she was offering.

Since she wasn’t part of their team, she’d even managed to coax Presca into sharing pleasure a few times. If she was in town during the full moon, Vander always invited her since the only time he hadn’t thought to, she’d nearly gotten him arrested for walking around naked in Fiore.

“I’m pretty sure you’re usually riding my face.”

“Mm… Good point. If you’ve got time-”

“I do but ‘nother question first. I’m looking for a birthday gift.”

“For a woman? Interesting…”

“Future sister-in-law.”

“Which brother did this impressive woman manage to snag?”

“That is still to be seen. Farron, Cris, and myself are the only ones out of the running.”

“Hm…” Nesryn tapped a red nail to her chin. “Why are you stressing enough to ask me and not one of your sisters?”

“Dad’s her godfather but hadn’t seen her in over ten years so he’s throwing a big party.”

“So, you need something worthy of the party?”

“Yeah. She’s a celestial mage, if that helps.”

“I’d get her books.” She shrugged.

Lucy usually read over lunch, so he’d seen the types of books she liked, but he was surprised at how easily Nesryn came to that idea. “She likes to read, but how’d you know that?”

“All celestial mages are brainy types. It’s part of their magic.”

“Oh. Hadn’t really thought about it that way.”

He pulled her into a kiss, nipping her lip.

“Come back to my place,” she said against his lips.

“Why?”

“I have a new toy.”

He groaned, remembering her toy chest, and pulled her into the darkened back hallway where he could jump them.

.~*~.

Kaleb almost wished he could just ask Hestor to pick something for Lucy at the Acadame, but he wasn’t supposed to know that he was there. Dean Kalperden always called to tell him when Hestor needed these times away.

When the celestial mage decided to stay at White Sea instead of returning to the Acadame, Kaleb had made a point of sticking close to the man. During the rescue, he’d heard Hestor’s instinct to claim Zen while tempered with a part of him that knew he shouldn’t. The last few weeks that Lucy had been there, Kaleb had noticed that Hestor didn’t seem to be getting enough sleep.

“Did you decide?” Sersha asked. She’d stepped away to give him the illusion of privacy while the both knew she was watching him out of the corner of her eye and Vince kept poking his head out from the back room.  

Kaleb picked up the earrings. They were star studs with stellarium in the center. Dangling from it was citrine and carnelian designed to look like the flaming tail of a shooting star.

“That looks rather feminine,” Sersha said, needling for whatever answers she could get out of him. “I suppose Emzadi would be susceptible-”

“I’m not telling you who it’s for.”

“So not Emzadi.”

“I’m not telling you,” he said, knowing that she’d charge his guild account.

“When you need a promise ring-”

“There’s nowhere else I’d go,” he promised, kissing her cheek and waving goodbye to her husband before leaving.

Kaleb tried to be in White Sea at least once a month. Knowing that he planned to get Lucy’s birthday gift from Sersha, he’d arranged all of the meetings that had to be held in White Sea during those two days.

“May I see?” Thane asked when Kaleb arrived at his office. “Sersha certainly has good taste.”

“Yes, she does. Any word from Kalperden?”

“Yes. He also found the books that you requested. He’ll send them with Hestor.”

“Good. Thank you. Go for the day. I know you and your wife have plans for your time here today.”

Thane smiled. “Thank you.”

.~*~.

It wasn’t until halfway through the second game of air hockey that Lucy realized why Bickslow had picked the game. It had been years since she’d gone to an arcade with someone. There’d been a small one in the bowling alley where they’d go at least once a month when they were teenagers. The tank top she’d worn showed much more cleavage than she’d realized when she was bent over.

Instead of calling him out for it, she used it to her advantage. She leaned over the table a little more. When they moved onto skee-ball, she stuck her ass out a little more. It wasn’t until she jumped a little too much while playing basketball that he’d realized what she was doing. By then, she’d won too many games and won twice as many tickets.

“I can’t believe you played me like that,” Bickslow said with his hand over his heart.

“I can’t believe it took you over an hour to realize it,” she teased. Despite pointing out that all things were fair in love and war, she bought him dinner and a beer as they took a break.

“Are you still mad at Laxus?”

“Ah. I was wondering who you were here to barter for. No, not really. I still want him to grovel though.”

“He’ll be at the party.”

“And had better get me something really impressive. I’m talking first edition Jane Eyre or something.”

“Noted.”

“So how big is this party getting?”

“Erm…big. Dad even invited Altiene. I mean, they’ve been friends for years but still.”

“Wait. As in Governor Endivosh?”

“Yup. Liam and Novalie aren’t bad, but Kurino is psychotic.”

“Like, in general or to a soul deep level?”

“Soul. I dread to think what she’d do if she could. Especially with her not so subtle obsession with Farron.”

Lucy scrunched up her nose and Bickslow tapped it.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “She’s usually on her best behavior when Farron is around.”

“Why is Arman inviting them?”

“Dad always invites Altiene if he’s having a big enough party and he’s going a little overboard with this. It’s partially political since Dad, Uncle Tesso, and Minda all hold government positions. The other reason is that you’re the heir apparent to the Étoile throne.”

Lucy had called Martina, Emery’s mother, to ask about Evelyn abdicating. Evelyn had predicted that a time would come when archangels would fly again, and the hawk and dove would stand beside the throne again. Only then would a rightful Étoile wear the corona again.

Even with Zen’s apparent death, Layla suspected that Lucy could become queen. They still didn’t know what ‘hawk and dove’ meant.

After the abdication, tir-na-nog was split into various smaller kingdoms. Part of the agreement with the gods that helped keep tir-na-nog so if an heir ever chose to retake the throne, there was nothing they could do to stop her. Altiene was the king of the Boscan kingdom. She knew the Flowers, the family that Lucy now recognized as the tir-na-nog royals in Fiore. Like Altiene, Toma was also governor of Fiore.

“Come on, Tink. You’re getting that wrinkle in your brow,” Bickslow said, standing up.

“I am not!” That didn’t stop her from rubbing her forehead, just in case. “Erik’s taken to calling me that too.”

“I’ve noticed, but it was my nickname first.”

Bickslow had taken to calling her that almost since they met. He said she was small and feisty like Tinker Bell. The Halloween when she was eighteen, she lost a bet to him over costumes and he’d picked out a Tinker Bell one. Laxus had not been amused when Bickslow showed up dressed as Peter Pan and let everyone assume that he and Lucy were a pair.

“I know. I know.”

They played a few more games then went over to the ticket store. She picked out a Cancer necklace that, instead of the symbol, had the constellation shown with crystals on a gold circle. Then loaded up with candy.

“Isn’t that a bit too much candy?”

She gave him a snarky look and said, “I’m going to pretend that you didn’t say that. Besides, Erza’s coming over tomorrow.”

“That’s not enough candy.”

She giggled when he used his tickets to buy her some more. Then added a little Tinker Bell keychain from the children’s section that he stuck onto her bag.

“I’m surprised that you didn’t get a stuffed animal since I doubt you brought your collection from home.”

“I only brought two. But no. Not until I know what Natsu got me.”

“I forgot about the birthday prank war.”

The year before, Natsu bought her twenty-two stuffed cats that he dyed to look like Happy and hid them around her dorm and bedroom at the estate.

“So, what do you want for your birthday?” he asked when they reached her car.

“I don’t know. I’d happier with a smaller party though.”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thanks.” She hugged him and he bent down to kiss her temple. “Bye, Bixy.”

"Bye, Tink. Try to stay out of trouble."

"You're one to talk."

He watched her drive away with a smile and a shake of his head.


	13. Lucy's Birthday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a confession: By the end of this chapter, I was so done with it that I didn't really proof it. Sorry, not sorry.

The dinner with her father wasn’t as stressful as she’d expected. It was still fancier than she’d have wanted, but the food was good.

“You’re still mad,” Jude stated after she’d been answering in mostly monosyllables.

“Yes and no,” she admitted. “A lot of people were hurt by this and I can’t forgive that. But more than that, I feel like I don’t know my mother anymore.”

“The only thing that you need to know is that your mother loved you. More than anything.”

“That might’ve worked when I was twelve, but not anymore. I’m lost.”

“I’m sorry. That was never my intention.”

“I know that it wasn’t, but that’s how I feel.”

Jude sighed. “Heartfilias are a bit different than other celestial mages. Celestial mages are hunted. It’s why almost all are either in guilds or at the Acadame. They are also very secretive about their magic. Heartfilias tend to be more fluid about this because of how close their bond with their dragons are but others… I’m sure Arman can tell you about that aspect of his relationship with Ganier.”

“Were you friends with them?”

“Of course. Farron was a year old when I met your mother. I know that there was a bit of conflict between Grammi and Ganier.”

Lucy remembered Grammi and her daughter, Brandish. Or rather, she remembered that Erza and Brandish hated each other. Brandish was the same age as Lucy. A part of Erza had that instinctive protectiveness of a bonded dragon. It came in conflict with Brandish who could be a bit a bully.  

“Why? What happened?”

“Grammi and Minda were cousins. Even though Minda had immediately recognized that Arman was Ganier’s One, Grammi still saw it as taking her cousin’s boyfriend. The three of them met while at the Acadame.”

“How did they all end up there? Or rather, how did Mom?”

The Heartfilia Estate was little ways outside of Acalypha. The flight to Cellis took eight hours and two layovers.

“The Acadame was built long after the estate was. Your mother was the first only child in the family. With Emery’s line disowned, she wanted to meet other celestial mages. She once said that she felt it in her bones that the prophesy was set to be fulfilled.”

“What does that have to do with other celestial mages?”

“There were three sets of keys. Well, four. The Zodiac that you have and the four Ptolemaic royals that you gave Emery stay within the family. But there were two other sets: a black and white one. Ganier would be the first to wield all seven of the white keys.”

When Lucy and Hestor sparred, they rarely summoned their spirits. However, she had seen his keys. It was Farron that told her that Hestor was contracted to nine of the ten keys to the Hall of Two Truths.

Archangels could sense keys. While not as easily as it would have been if he’d been mated, Zen and Hestor had spent two years exploring Ishgar and finding the keys. As it were, Zen seemed to have a special knack for finding the darker keys. Hestor preferred not to make contracts with the other dark spirits and left them with Dean Kalperden who’d offered them to Lucy and Emery.

Emery’s mother had most of the combative silver keys that had been passed down since Emery had little use for them. Except for Canis Minor and Horologium, Lucy didn’t have any keys outside of the Zodiac.

She decided to accept Corvus when she learned that he could move through the voids. Then turned training with his magic into pranking Kaleb’s office. The spirit, used to be abused, was surprised by the fact that Lucy’s interest was in pranking the powerful wizard saint. He and Virgo dove into the task with a zeal that surprised her. 

 “Why was Mom scared of me becoming the queen?”

“Because people don’t give up power easily.”

Lucy almost felt like flinching. Though Altiene himself wasn’t expected to visit, Bickslow had said there was no way that Kurino would miss an opportunity to see Farron. The seith mage didn’t mince words when he considered what the princess would do if she had real power. Her soul was dark with intent but not actions.

The Flowers in Fiore were another prime example of that. The family had changed their name to be after the country.

“Lucy, if things have moved out of your control, that’s okay.”

“Thank you.”

“I’m sure that we can find some suitors for you.”

“Dad!”

She honestly couldn’t tell if he was kidding or not. The part that scared her was that she was almost tempted to consider it.

.~*~.

Despite knowing that there’d be cake at the party the following day, girls’ night at Heorot became girls’ night in the kitchen making baked goods. Mira, Lucy, and Xally were in the kitchen while Emzadi, Erza, and Levy were sitting at the bar. Cana had taken over a corner of the kitchen with the blender and was experimenting with mixed drinks and the various things she found in the freezer. So far, the best had been the boozy milkshakes.

Emzadi had a wooden spoon that she kept smacking Erza’s hand away. The requip mage kept trying to steal tastes of the chocolate-covered strawberry cake. It was chocolate batter that would be poured of a layer of fresh strawberries.

Deciding to put on music, Emzadi handed over the spoon to Mira and swept Cana into dancing with her.

“In chase of my dream, I got lost within the forest of my heart and tonight it's not the mirror, it's the clear spring reflecting fragments of my smile. And all these tears that I have shed, gold or silver they won't ever be. And as these tears full of regret, I need somebody to hear me.”

Lucy and Xally were singing and dancing as well as the stirred bowls of batter and frosting. The dragon slayer pulled Erza and Levy out of their seats.

“So goodbye, I'm changing, changing. I'm chasing my dream. The brightest one I've ever seen. And now I'm changing, changing the world with a smile. My flame will be burning, I'll finally become a hero.”

Natsu and Happy were sitting at the top of the stairs. They were in sight of the living room, but the women chose to ignore them.

“She really can’t sing,” Happy said.

“Be quiet. It’s the most I’ve seen her enjoy herself in a while,” Natsu said, carrying the Exceed back to his room.

The women kept singing and dancing while the cakes baked. Somehow, they’d become more important than going out to the club. Lucy summoned Virgo to request changes of clothes for the mages that didn’t keep pajamas in their requip space.

“And here I was worried you’d have left without me,” Emery said, taking in the impromptu pajama party.

“Hoping. You were hoping we’d have left without you,” Lucy said.

Emery waved her off as she went upstairs to grab a set of pajamas from Lucy’s dresser.

“Get your boy on his knees and repeat after me, say: ‘Take a sip of my secret potion. I'll make you fall in love. For a spell that can't be broken. One drop should be enough. Boy, you belong to me. I got the recipe. And it's called black magic.’”

The women gave each other a confused look when the doorbell rang again. With Emery now in pajamas, there was no one else that was supposed to be coming.

Lucy opened the door and shouted ‘hey’ in time with the song before shutting it in Laxus and Bickslow’s faces.

“I have pizza,” Laxus yelled, knowing that Emzadi would hear.

She opened the door and sure enough, Bickslow and Vander were each holding four boxes of pizza.

“What are you doing here?” Lucy asked as Laxus ignored them to go get a kiss from Xally.

“Well I’m here to live out a fantasy,” Vander said as he and Bickslow put the boxes down.

“Me too,” Bickslow agreed.

“We’re not having a pillow fight,” Lucy said in a deadpanned voice.

“Oh, come on. Please. You don’t even need to kiss or anything.”

“No!” Four other women agreed with Lucy, but she couldn’t tell who with the music on.

“Thanks for the food. You can leave now.”

“No way,” Laxus said.

“Girls. Night,” Lucy said, marching up to him with her hands on her hips.

“Luce, we’re gonna be on the balcony,” Natsu said, carrying two boxes with him. She scowled at him but made an acquiescing gesture.

The women dug into their own boxes, still dancing around the kitchen as the grabbed plates and checked the cake. Lucy had the remote for the stereo in her hand and kept changing the song every time a slow one came on.

“You know, one of these days, you’re gonna have to say something,” Laxus said. “She’ll find someone someday.”

“Nah. She’s weird enough that it’ll always be the two of us.”

“Oh,” Vander muttered, their conversation clicking with him “You know who your- who it is?”

When Natsu refused to answer, Laxus said, “He has since freshman year of college. Met him and freaked out. Freaked out more when he found out that he was a guildmate.”

“‘He’? Don’t tell me you freaked out because it was a guy,” Vander said, narrowing his eyes. Bickslow and Laxus both chuckled at that. Of the three dragons, Natsu had embraced the pansexuality the easiest.

“No. I definitely wouldn’t mind a few rounds with you,” Natsu said. Subtly went over his head so there was no doubt in in the smirk of his eyes glancing over Vander.

“But Natsu’s been in love with Lucy since he knew what love was,” Bickslow said. He was looking back into the living room.

A new song had come on, prompting Emzadi, Lucy, and Cana to get up and start singing at the men through the sliding glass door.

“Oh, I don't know what you've been told, but this gal right here's gonna rule the world. Yeah, that is where I'm gonna be because I wanna be. No, I don't wanna sit still, look pretty. You get off on your nine to five dream of picket fences and trophy wives. But no, I'm never gonna be 'cause I don't wanna be. No, I don't wanna sit still look pretty!”

“Am I the only one that gets really nervous when they’re in a girl power kick? Lucy especially,” Laxus mused. Many of the song that had interrupted their meal and got them up and dancing were girl power songs.

“Nope…” Natsu agreed.

“Of course, Natsu and I aren’t sleeping with any of them,” Bickslow said with a chuckle.

After the pizza was gone and the cake decorated and promptly eaten, the women helped clean up and left. They’d all be at the Pradesh manor for Arman’s party. Laxus left with Xally. Vander decided to take Natsu up on his offer causing Lucy and Emery to scramble for the book with the silencing runes. And Bickslow ended up with Emery and Lucy cuddled up on either side of him.

_Hell. Pretty sure this is hell._

_Pretty sure a_ lot _of men would disagree,_ Kaleb said.

 _You included?_ Bickslow retorted crankily.

_I have had platonic cuddles with her._

_Yeah, before your induction and she was eight without boobs. Boobs that I, unlike you, have seen. And touched. And-_

_You should stop before you get an erection._

_Too late._

.~*~.

Tables had been set up with a portable firepit, a grill, and twinkling lights strung up around the yard on poles. The table near the grill was piled high with sides and condiments. Mr. Elan surprised everyone by being able to scare Erza away from the dessert table.

Farron’s DJ booth had been set up with a few premade mixtapes though he’d said that he’d be up there at various points through the night. Since the Pradesh manor had a private beach, most everyone was wearing swimwear.

“Touch the fire and perfume in your room,” Lucy warned when she noticed Natsu drooling over the grill.

“But-”

“No. At the end of the night, you can ask.”

“Fine,” he pouted. Around Lucy’s waist as a kind of belt was the ribbon from the bear. He flicked at the loop of the bow.

She bumped his hip with hers before abandoning him to go speak to Arman who was speaking to one of the maids.

“I think you went overboard.”

Arman glanced around with a ‘hm’ but then said, “Nope. Remember this to tell your children later.”

“Are you trying to pair me off with one of your sons?” She said it as if it was scandalous and had her hand over her heart.

“I have since you were three,” he replied with an unrepentant grin. “What about you? Any ideas on where your heart is leading you?”

Kaleb glanced over from his conversation with Zen and Beck. He could hear his father’s question bouncing around in her head mixed with her general indecisiveness.

 _No_ , he mused. It wasn’t that she was indecisive. It was that she was conflicted. As much as she chastised him for wanting the girl she had been, she knew that part of her longing for him was the crush she’d had as a child. The two hadn’t made time to get to know the adult well.

On the other hand, she was around Zen on an almost daily basis. They trained together both in and out of MBT.

Beck rolled his eyes. He knew Arman well enough to guess what his and Lucy’s conversation was about.

“Have you considered that she doesn’t know how to talk to you anymore either?” Beck asked. “You two keep dancing around each other.”

“And who do you think keeps pranking your office?” Zen added with an amused smile.

The pranks had happened at least once a week. They started innocently enough. First with rearranging the furniture. Those still happened regularly. Beck had been with him the first time it had happened and had to help move his desk back into place. Then there was the foghorn behind the door or under his seat. That one also happened often enough that he had taken to checking all the doors and his seat on a daily basis.

The small fish tank that Beck set up on the back counter was from the prankster. Kaleb narrowed his eyes at his old friend, finally understanding what had made Beck laugh but he wouldn’t explain.

_You’ve been pranking my office?_

He met Lucy’s eyes and she smirked.

 _Yup._ He could hear the amused drawl in her tone. _And I will continue to do so until you get a life. You’re too young for that._

 _Do you want to go out with me?_ She glanced over at him for a second before returning to her conversation with two of the Fiorian women and Bickslow.

_When?_

_Tomorrow?_

_There’s a lot of alcohol being served._ She ran a finger around the rim of her glass as if to make a point.

_I can’t get drunk._

_I can._

_I remember._ He saw the flash of pink on her cheeks. From his angle, he couldn’t see the white-haired woman’s reaction, but he heard Bickslow’s curse. _What’s wrong?_ Kaleb asked him.

_What did you just say to Lucy? Because I don’t care what her magic technically is, that woman is Eros-incarnate with the tenacity of a bulldog._

_We were talking the night that she was intoxicated and showed up demanding answers about Beck._

_I remember- Oh, fuck. Dad’s coming over. Run._

_Why?_

_You think Dad’s bad about trying to get us all married off? Mira is probably worse and already imagining what yours and Lucy’s babies will look like and-_

Kaleb couldn’t help but peek into Mira’s head. She was a smart woman and had guessed that it was the telepath that had said something to make Lucy blush. There were a half-dozen combinations of Lucy’s and his genetics. His personal favorite was the little girl that had Lucy’s brown eyes with his slightly tanner complexion and platinum hair.

Then he realized that his father had heard the same speculation and decided to take Bickslow’s advice.

“Nice try,” Farron said, grabbing ahold of Kaleb. He’d heard part of the reactions as well.

“You’re siding with Dad?” Kaleb hissed.

“On this one? Yeah. Otherwise, you two will keep avoiding each other. And as much as I enjoy having Lucy hanging out in my office to wait for an opportunity to prank you-”

“You’ve been helping her?”

“Of course. How else do you think she knows when you’re not in your office?”

“Betrayed by my own family.”

“I didn’t know you could be such a drama queen,” Zen said, smiling at the tease. “That seems more Van or Bix’s style.”

“Besides, keeping him trained on pairing you, Zen, or Bix with her keeps him off my back about Oz.”

“I’m included in this?” Zen asked.

“You’re not interested?”

He glanced at Lucy. She was standing by one of the brighter lights that made her tunic all the more translucent. Underneath it, she wore a bikini that revealed her curves.

“That’s what I thought,” Farron said, glancing over Lucy. He’d be the first to acknowledge that she was a stunning woman. However, knowing that she was Fiorian, he wouldn’t complicate things by asking to share pleasure.

 

“Lucy,” Minda said with a grin as she engulfed Lucy in a hug.

“Hi, Aunt Minda.”

Minda was one of the few Boscans that Lucy knew growing up. Her position in law enforcement had led Jude to call her when Gajeel and Laxus went through rebellious phases as teenagers. Since the bond meant that he couldn’t outright cut them from her life, he’d resorted to calling his wife’s old friend.

“Save me,” Lucy whispered into her ear.

The older woman smiled, shook her head slightly, then hooked her arm with Arman’s arm. “Let’s dance.”

“But-”

“Dancing.”

“Come on. Let’s get a drink at the bar,” Cana said with a wink at Lucy as she did the same with Mira.

“You know neither are going to let this go, right?” Bickslow said in a low voice.

“Yeah… Do you think we can keep them apart for the rest of the night?”

“Maybe?”

 

The party was progressing nicely. Watching Xally drag Laxus onto the dancefloor cracked Lucy and Natsu up. Levy doing the same a little while later and his glare at them for laughing at his flopping around had the two of them crying.

“Where’s Cris?” Lucy asked when she got off the dancefloor after being pulled there by Vander.

“With Emery,” Laxus said, pointing his thumb at another of the tables where the two were silently talking.

“Oh. That’s gonna get complicated.”

“He’s been trying to talk her into helping him find out information about his mother,” Xally said. “Since her mother is doing similar research, he’s hoping that there’s some overlap.”

“There might be. Only problem is that her mother isn’t a fan of dragon slayers. Martina means well but she wants to be a Heartfilia again.”

Everything stilled for a moment. The music was still playing but even Natsu, who Lucy could always hear, was silent. Lucy turned towards where much of the attention was directed. The two women that had just arrived both had brown hair and red eyes. That was where the similarities ended.

Kaleb came up behind Lucy and pressed a hand to the small of her back. _Kurino and Novalie Endivosh._

Kurino’s eyes were blood red and there was a predatory aura that couldn’t be dismissed despite the smile she gave Arman when he went to greet them. While everyone else was in fairly casual outfits, some already in swim clothes, she wore designer clothing. Pieces out of catalogues that her father was constantly trying to get her to shop out of.

“That’s more jewelry than you wear,” Xally muttered, turning slightly so she was facing Laxus more though Lucy could see that she was watching out of the corner of her eye.

“Why is everyone freaking out?” Lucy asked.

She noticed Bickslow go over to Mira. The white-haired woman then went to talk to Farron, intercepting Kurino’s beeline after pleasantries with Arman. The eldest Pradesh son gave Mira a grateful smile.

 _Everyone here is from tir-na-nog and she’s one of our princesses,_ Kaleb reminded her. _Her interest in Farron is also well-known._

_From what I heard, it’s an obsession._

_It is. What she’d be capable of if she didn’t have federal laws to consider…_

Kaleb didn’t finish the thought and Lucy didn’t really need him to continue. While Bosco was the most liberal and progressive state in Ishgar, there was no denying the laws she could pass if she was the crowned princess of a kingdom and not a small piece of an underground community.

_Don’t forget. You’re also the rightful heir to the crown she wished she possessed._

Novalie, on the other hand, grinned at Vander when he popped over to ask her to dance. Her brown hair had hints of honey, her red eyes seemed softer like a rose, and she was dressed casually with faintly visible bathing suit lines.

“Hi,” she said with a smile. “Happy birthday.”

“Hi. Thank you,” Lucy said. The two women kissed the other’s cheeks. As soon as Lucy touched her, she knew the woman was a dragon’s mate. She watched as Vander swept her off to dance.

“You’re plotting. Don’t meddle,” Kaleb said as he gently pulled Lucy out onto the dancefloor as well.

“It’s my job.”

 

On the other side of the party, Kurino was grinding her teeth as she watched Cana join Mira in antagonizing the elder princess by being handsy with the amused sound mage. Mira’s magic was impressive enough that it was easy to believe that the princess simply didn’t frighten her. Not that Cana was weak, but Mira was terrifying. Lucy and Emery had only seen her transformation magic once at a training space outside of Pelerno and that had been enough.

“I can’t tell if Cana’s drunk or stupid,” Emery mused.

“Possibly both. Will you please-” Cristoff said.

“Yes, if you stop begging,” she said abruptly.

“Really?”

“Yeah. Just- be aware that your mother and mine are researching different questions. Looking for answers to questions that there might not be answers to.”

“I understand, but you’re the first real lead I’ve had.” Cristoff stood then held out his hand to her. “Would you like to dance?”

“That wasn’t part of the agreement,” Emery squeaked.

“Didn’t realize that it needed to be.” His smile was both sweet and flirty.

“Um…yeah,” she said, taking his hand.

When the two found themselves near Lucy and Bickslow, Emery groaned when she heard her cousin’s giggle and saw the wink and playful grin.

 

Somehow, while no one was paying attention, Arman had sidled up to Mira after Farron decided it was time to use his DJ booth as a shield from Kurino.

“You have some interesting ideas,” he said smoothly.

“Which son are you shipping at the moment?” Mira asked, deciding to avoid beating around the bush.

“Hm. I rather like Emery and Cristoff together, but I can see that becoming too complicated. I’d hate to encourage something that seems doomed to fail. And Lucy… Almost feels like too many options.”

“I’ve known Bix for years. I grew up in Fairy Tail with Laxus. The two are definitely an interesting pair, but I think they’d have floated off into the sunset if that ship was meant to sail,” she said. “No. I’m definitely stuck between Zen and Kaleb.”

“She’s around Zen a lot, but rarely alone. And she’s had Kaleb wrapped around her pinky since they were children.”

“I doubt they still see each other as children,” Mira said. “I mean- Damn.”

Arman chuckled. “Yes. They may not share my genetics, but I raised an attractive lot.”

Mira tilted her head to the side slightly to look up at him. Yes, it was a shame that there wasn’t an army of sexy men and women. Then again, woe be to women’s ovaries if there had been. Like most everyone, he was dressed casually. His shirt revealed his clan tattoos and a swimmer’s body.

“Are you promised, Mr. Pradesh?”

She saw a hint of surprise as he turned to look at her fully. There was something thoughtful and considering in his gaze.

“No. However, I don’t think that’s a good idea tonight.”

“Tonight?” she echoed.

Arman glanced at where Minda was playfully dancing with Tesso. Even though his old friend was frequently telling him to move on, that Ganier would’ve slapped him silly for pining, he couldn’t bring himself to say yes with Minda there.

Mira pulled a bottle out of her requip space. It was a small black bottle with a cork topper. “Here.”

“What is this?”

“An experiment between Cana and myself. Targeted truth potion.”

“How did you target it?” He gave both the bottle and its creator an impressed look.

“Tequila mixed with a hint of an aphrodisiac.”

“Lust or love?” he asked warily.

“Lust,” she answered. “Love is a truth that should never be elicited with a potion. Not sure it could anyways. It’ll make a person hot and bothered, but not push them any further. It wouldn’t work between two people if genuine attraction isn’t there. Hence why I’m going to recommend getting everyone into their bathing suits.”

“So nothing like Succubus Venom?” He opened the top to sniff it. Succubus Venom had a distinct smell that not even the tequila could mask.

“Not considering how many laws I’d be breaking procuring the stuff, the point of the assignment that this was originally made for was to modify Milesian _potions_ into something that actually works.”

“And it works?”

“It got my brother’s head out of his ass long enough to get laid so yes.”

Arman glanced over at where Cana was flirting with the hired bartender. “It seems your friend has taken over the bar.”

“She does that.” Mira playfully snatched the bottle out of his hand and sauntered over to Cana. The brunette didn’t require much convincing.

Arman went to Vander to start getting people into their bathing suits. While he wasn’t expecting subtlety from his youngest son, grabbing Novalie and Emzadi and dragging them to the beach yelling that it was time to swim was not what he had in mind.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Cana and Mira directing a few of the servers with drinks towards Lucy, Kaleb, Emery, and a few others. With the mated Levy and Gajeel, it took only moments before the couple disappeared.

As she had when they were younger, Lucy had a knack for monopolizing Kaleb’s attention. Lucy was tipsy enough, and a giggly drunk, that she didn’t think twice about drinking the shot and persuaded Kaleb to do the same.

With the drinks out, Mira and Cana went out to the water. Soon, it was only staff, Arman, Tesso, and Minda sitting at a table watching the younger generation enjoy the water.

“Remember when that was us?” Minda asked.

“We’re not that old,” Arman protested.

“Yes, we are,” Tesso and Minda both said before the three started laughing.

“Tell us, what scheming did this involve?” Minda asked.

“The usual.”

Kurino thought she’d be more thrilled to see Farron shirtless. Except that he’d been quick to avoid her as he ran into the water. That her sister was closer to him, again, made her want to throw a tantrum. The invitation had said they’d end up in the water.

Her sister had tried to convince her to wear the bathing suit, but Lucy was turning twenty-three. Surely, she would have grown out of such childish displays. That was what she’d convinced herself as she dressed in a designer outfit with all of her jewelry. Instead, she was left to stew.

 

When Kurino arrived, Kaleb rarely left Lucy’s side. She was a hugger and dragon slayers preferred touch. However, each time Kaleb touched her while they were in the water had her biting back a whimper.

The fact that the Pradesh men had shed their shirts had Lucy, Emery, Mira, and Cana all making whimpering noises didn’t help.

“Ovaries, exploding,” Cana muttered.

“It’s raining men. Hallelujah. It’s raining men,” Mira sang softly.

“Hallelujah sounds about right,” Lucy said.

“Ovaries,” Cana repeated when Kaleb sent Lucy a wicked smirk.

“I’m going before he gets a bigger head,” Lucy said.

That was twenty minutes ago. Now, she was making out with the man and her legs wrapped around his waist. She groaned against his mouth and anytime she wondered how she got there, another part of her mind said, ‘Does it matter?’ With his lips on hers, she couldn’t come up with reasons why it should.

 

On the shore, sitting a chair that a servant brought her, Kurino felt the pulse of Lucy’s magic. Everyone else was inebriated enough that they didn’t notice. There were rumors that she was a Étoile.

“It’s late. What do you want?” Hisui Flowers said when she answered her phone.

“Lucy Heartfilia is an Étoile. The Étoile.” Kurino heard Hisui sharp intake and the sound of the other woman getting up.

“You’re certain?”

“Yes.”

“She can’t awaken. Call Grandice. We need to move the plans up.”

Kurino watched as Kaleb had started carrying Lucy up to the house.

“This should be fun.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The songs from girls' night: Kira Justice's English version of 'Masayume Chasing' by BoA (it's my favorite opening), 'Black Magic' by Little Mix, and 'Sit Still, Look Pretty' by Daya.  
> Also 'It's Raining Men' by The Weather Girls.


	14. Repercussions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone that's been following this!

Lucy snuggled absently into Kaleb’s side, pressing a sleepy kiss to his chest. They were in his childhood bedroom in the manor. She vaguely remembered a few other people ending up in the house as well.

 _Don’t do that unless you’re awake enough to see how I’d always like to wake you,_ Kaleb warned. The growl in his voice sent shivers down her spine.

_Sorry. I think we were drugged. Bix warned that Cana and Mira are the best potion makers in Fairy Tail._

_Are you mad?_

She turned slightly to look up at him. _At you? No. A little annoyed with them though. And probably Arman._

Kaleb chuckled. _I have you to myself now. How about that date?_

_What did you have in mind? As long as I can go home and change, I’m good._

_We can do that. And then we’ll figure it out as we go._

.~*~.

Emery woke up dressed but pressed against a bare chest. Fearing the hangover that caused her to not know who she was sleeping with, she started to sit up slowly. That is until she saw the lycan clan tattoo. There were only two men that she might've fallen into bed with that bore that tattoo and she'd cuddled Bickslow enough times to know it wasn't him.

“Fuck. Shit.” Emery jerked away hard enough that she fell out of the bed and crashed onto the floor. “Ow. Fuck.”

“Are you all right?” Cristoff asked, leaning over to look at her.

“I um- We didn't-"

“No. We kissed but- No. It didn't go further.”

“Thank the stars.”

Emery tried to get out the door before Cristoff could stop her, but he beat her to it. When she looked up at him, he wanted nothing more than to kiss her again. Last night, when she'd kissed him, he almost let himself get swept up in the emotions that she was feeding him.

 _“I've always wondered what a dragon slayer would feel like,”_ she'd murmured. 

That reminded him that it was against the rules for a Heartfilia to be with a dragon slayer. He'd kept things from progressing too far and she ended up sleeping in his bed. Get cold nose was what woke him up.

“Stay?”

“I- We-"

“I know, but you kissed me. According to Kaleb, it was a truth spell. You wanted to kiss me.”

“I- You're- I don't- Do you have any appreciation for how attractive you are? I mean, all the Pradesh men are but fuck- Of course, I want to kiss you. I'm not blind. The fact that you're you and just- ugh. Please let me go. You're a dragon slayer.  There's a mate out there for you.”

There was no reason for that reminder to surprise him but it did. It was enough to let her slip by him.

.~*~.

“He's at work!” Marinette yelled as she ran into apartment. “Damn it. Where are you?”

The sliding door to the back was open and Marinette went looking for her roommate. The redhead was dozing in the chair in the shade.  

“Wake up.”

“Huh? Why ye ‘ere?” she muttered sleepily.

“Chat is messaging from work.”

Rhiannon scrambled to get up and turned on the computer. There was already a connection between the computer and Marinette’s tablet. “Keep bletherin’ tae him.”

It took almost an hour for her to use the opening that Chat created to first get into the Agreste Fashions and then another two hours to follow the pathway into MBT.

“I'm in!” Rhiannon cheered.

“Who is Odysseus?”

Marinette perched herself next to Rhiannon to keep the other woman from ignoring her. She signed but started looking. All white hat hackers employed by MBT had their handles catalogued for the Steel Council.

“Oh fuck.”

“What? Who is he?”

“Farron Pradesh.”

“As in the CEO?” When the woman didn't respond, Marinette asked, “What are you going to do? Will you tell them?”

“I- I ‘ave tae. If I don'-"

“But there's no telling what they'll do with him.”

“Maybe not, but I know what they'll do wi’ me.”

“You should go meet him. As Rhiannon. Even if it's just in passing. I can give you a lucky charm.” Her tone was wheedling, but it made Rhiannon smile.

“I'll think abou’ it.”

“Better than an outright no, I guess.”

.~*~.

“Do you mind if I multitask?” Novalie asked after sitting down. “I have a test in macro today.”

“Go ahead,” Lucy answered.

The two women were sitting in a campus coffee shop. It was filled with other students working on laptops or in small study groups whispering amongst themselves. Lucy had gotten her number from Farron and was grateful that the woman hadn't decided that it was strange.

“How many people were actually spiked?”

“Five. Who did you end up with?”

“Vander and Cana.”

The potion had an expected side-effect when it came to Kaleb and Cristoff. Both men found themselves pumping out their arousals to everyone around. And because it wasn't Cristoff's moonlust, his siblings were susceptible to it.

“Sounds like fun.”

“It was. Didn't realize how much I needed it until the following morning.” She glanced up from her book with a speculative look.  “But that's not what you wanted to talk about.”

“No.”

“Does this have to do with you being an Étoile?”

“You know about that too…”

“Father likes being king but he's loyal to the old laws. Kuri…” Novalie trailed off.  Lucy didn't push. She could respect her desire to protect her sister and not say anything mean.

“Do you like being a princess?”

“Yes and no. I imagine there's a freedom in not being royal.” She jerked her thumb over her shoulder at the security guard pretending not to be noticeable. “I mean, your father must've tried similar stunts.”

“Never more than once. I have dragon slayers though.”

“Lucky you.”

“I- That's actually the reason why I wanted to see you.  You're a dragon slayer mate.”

Lucy had been expecting more of a reaction. All the woman did was set her glass down and stare at Lucy. In the three days since her birthday party, neither Erik or Natsu had reacted to having met their mate. It was starting to annoy her. With Erik, she had no doubt that he'd realized that and was doing it deliberately.

“Which ever one it is, they'll be happy to know that you're as stoic as them,” she grumbled.

“You're certain?”

“Hm? Oh yes.”

Novalie smiled. It was the practice smile of excitement but not too much excitement. Somehow, Lucy knew that smile was learned behavior because of her sister. “That's amazing.”

“You think so?” She knew the relief was obvious in her voice.

“It's a soulmate. A perfect match.”

“I'm immune to the mating so I guess I never really thought about it.”

“Do you know which one? Will I have time to know them?”

“Probably. I think that it's Erik, but I'm not certain.”

Lucy looked at the pictures on her phone. The irritable dragon slayer always scowled when she tried taking a picture of him. However, she'd gotten a good one when Beck asked if Erik would come over. A Harvati snake was being especially volatile and while Beck could communicate with all animals, he couldn't stop one from being an asshole for asshole's sake.

The smile on his face as the snake wrapped around his arm was amazing.

“Wow,” Novalie breathed.

“Does that mean you want to meet him?”

“He doesn't want to meet me?”

“Well…”

Lucy wasn't stupid. She knew that Erik flirted with her. And that he did it because it irritated pretty much every other man in her life. The bond had settled enough that she was beginning to push back against his flirting. Initially, she hadn't because he needed the connection.

“He's a bit of a stubborn asshole,” Lucy said after a minute. “But he won't put up with them.”

“That in itself would be reason to meet him properly.”

“He likes to flirt with me because it annoys-”

“-Kaleb?”

“Well… It annoys most of them.”

“I saw the way Zen looked at you at your party. Guess the question is: who do you want? Who did you end up in bed with?”

“Kaleb.”

“But it could have been Zen?”

Lucy didn't answer. It could have been, and she'd have accepted that. She'd spent more time with Zen. She was still getting to know the man that Kaleb had grown into.

“I wish I had some wisdom for you. But you should decide before Sondassa.”

Vander was the one to tell her about the ceremony, if only to make a crack at getting in her pants during it. The Sondassa Ritual was part the mages’ way of celebrating Unification Day. Guilds around Ishgar participated. The ritual itself was relatively mundane and generally useless. The ritual was for peace, prosperity, fertility, and general happiness. However, trying to make over a million people happy was impossible so there was still conflict.

It was the aftereffects that could be problematic. The ritual released energy that acted as an aphrodisiac so only adults could participate. Couples, especially new ones, liked to participate because if they were as in sync with one another as they believed, they’d only be interested in one another.

The two women continued talking. Lucy admitted to feeling bashful about asking the men about the ritual. The dragon slayers didn't participate because they wouldn't be able to stop themselves from claiming their mate. Since learning everything, her father had sent Layla's journals. Skiadrum had claimed his mate during the Sondassa then spent a week trying to figure out who it had been before calling Layla for help.

“You must know how my sister feels about Farron.”

Lucy had watched her be conflicted any time the conversation veered near her sister and was surprised that she was the one to bring her up. “Yes, I do.”

“I wasn't opposed to him being my induction partner, but my father asked me to choose him. He hoped it would dissuade her.” She paused, glanced behind her, and lowered her voice.

“With a federal government, we don't truly have much power. I honestly fear what she would do, if she could. So, be careful.”

“I will. Thank you.”

Novalie nodded and stood.

.~*~.

“Vander!” Nesryn yelled as she kicked a man off.

The shadowquip glanced over and saw that the woman had been disarmed. He tossed her a shadow-made halberd. She deftly caught it, spun it, then took the head off one man and stabbed another with the spear. To Vander, it was always sexy to watch the petite woman fight with the massive weapon. Especially since she favored tight clothing similar to his shadow-leather.

Except when she started taking off heads. Then, she was pissed and terrifying. She was the only person, except other shadow mages, to be able to maintain the shadows his weapons were made it of.

He slipped into the shadows to grab Presca and waited. Her movements were fluid, like a dancer.

“I forgot how terrifying she can be,” Presca muttered, more than a hint of awe in his voice.

“Yup. Gods it’s sexy.”

Presca had only trained with them once and lasted a grand total of thirty minutes before the barely suppressed sexual tension had him fleeing before it erupted. He never could look at Vander’s gymnasium the same way after finding out about the sex games the two played there.

Vander dropped the two men from the shadow when it became apparent that Nesryn’s rage was lagging. Then, they finished up the Fomorian guild while Nesryn looked for the captives and called White Sea for clean-up. Presca picked up her broken halberd and handed it to her.

“Coming here without a team was stupid and reckless. Two things that you rarely are,” Presca said as they stood a safe distance away to ensure they didn’t miss any mages until the clean-up crew arrived.

“I had to.”

“Why? You don’t do solo work.”

“I did a threat assessment and-” She stopped and took a deep breath. “I think Grandice covered it up. There were two others that were never handed off to blood hunters or White Sea.”

“Are they still active?”

She nodded. “But they don’t deal in humans. This one did.”

“So, there is a heart in there,” Vander mused.

“Don’t tell anyone.”

She was an anomaly in the Steel Council: she’d volunteered. It was mostly to piss of her father. A few had been recruited because they were appropriately blood-thirsty, but no one volunteered.

Seeing the cleaners, she started to slip away.

“Wait,” Vander said before she got far. Presca walked the opposite direction to give them a little privacy. “Are you okay?”

“I could use a workout if you're offering.”

“Always but-”

“No ‘buts' except yours bare.”

“I can't believe that I’m- of all people- is going to say this, but have you thought about talking to someone. I mean, I can call-"

“The last thing I need is your brother or a shrink. Sex or a night at Heorot is what I need. If you're not-"

He kissed her. “Enough. Fuck. I have no problem fucking you ‘til neither of us can see straight but you can't keep feeding on the chaos and not expect it to fuck you up.”

“Don't get sentimental on me.”

“I’m not, but after Presca, you’re my favorite partner.”

She smiled. It was a genuine one, not the feral look that was always just under the surface after her berserk mode. “You are too. So, sex?”

“Your place or mine?”

.~*~.

Raphael grimaced as he healed the young woman. Sorano was strung up on a wall where Jose Porla would force his shades into her until she was writhing in so much pain that she tapped into Asteria and her millions of eyes. It was only because of Asteria's begging that he was coming to heal her. The goddess was very protective of the celestial mages under her purview.

“Make sure he doesn't find Yuki,” Sorano said. Her voice was hoarse. The whisper made it sound worse. “She's sidhé.”

“You're not long for this world. Even I cannot stop the deterioration from channeling Asteria.”

“I don't care.”

“I will do what I can, but you have to do something for me.”

“Anything.”

“Release our keys to the ether. He's trying to awaken the Star Maiden. She'll need us at her side.”

“So long as you promise that Yuki won't be the Dove.”

“I-"

“Promise,” she hissed.

“I promise.”

“Good.  Then I release you to the ether. May your keys find their way to the Star Maiden.”

 

Acnologia ran into the room when he sensed the pulse of magic. It didn’t take long for him to realize what Sorano had done.

“You stupid woman,” he said, slapping her. “Without him, you’ll die.”

“I know,” she spat. “And I only have enough strength to hold the connection for a few minutes. Maybe.”

The dragon slayer could hear the truth of that statement in the arrhythmia of her heart. She probably wouldn’t last long enough to summon Jose.

“Guess we’ll have to summon her my way.”

His hands became claws and he gripped her forearms before pushing dark magic into her. She screamed and tried kicking him off.

When that didn’t work, Sorano tapped into the almost familiar connection with Asteria. She just wanted to establish the link to hide from the pain. To weaken her body so that she could die. The words that came out were unbidden.

_“The Star Maiden is full of light. She must demand the light. Demand her birthright!”_

Sorano felt herself die and apologized to Yukino and to the Star Maiden. She didn’t want to help him win.

.~*~.

“Wow. You’re in my office without pranking it,” Kaleb commented when Lucy walked in with lunch.

“That’s what you think.”

He narrowed his eyes suspiciously then glanced around. When he didn’t notice anything immediately, his gaze returned to Lucy as she sat down.

“Did you prank the food?”

“That would be a bit excessive. You wanna tell me what's going on?”

“What do you mean?”

“Fare’s never kicked me out just because Van was in his office.”

Kaleb sighed. “Van thinks that Grandice, and maybe more of the Steel Council, are concealing the presence of Fomorians, dark guilds.”

“Why?”

“That’s a very good question. And one that Vander is going to work on getting the answer to.”

“Okay,” she said, opening the box with her baos.

“So where’s the prank?”

“Second drawer. Filing cabinet.”

Assuming it was another foghorn, he yanked the drawer open as if he was ripping off a Band-Aid. Instead, a puff of fine pink glitter covered him. He turned around slowly.

Lucy didn’t try very hard to keep a straight face. “I didn’t tell you to open it, Elven King.”

He pulled the hair tie out as he approached her and loomed overhead.  Then started shaking his head to shower her with glitter.

“Hey! Not the food!” she shrieked, scrambling to close the box before dodging his attempts to hug her and spread the glitter.

Soon, the food was cold and both them and the office were covered in glitter. Kaleb had pulled her to his chest before falling onto his couch.

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“The laughter.”


	15. Subterfuge

Rhiannon was pacing outside MBT. She’d been doing that periodically since finding out that Farron was Odysseus. The tree across the street found the entire thing annoyingly amusing.

She wasn’t paying attention and collided with a large form.

“Sorry.” She looked up at baby blue eyes and immediately felt something in her skid to a stop. Her heart stuttered. She’d looked into Farron Pradesh enough times to recognize him. Since learning that she was a dragon slayer, she’d done research into her magic. She knew that she’d have a mate.

What she didn’t know was that Farron was going through a similar reaction. Tingles went down his spine but before he could say anything, she was running.

The business suit wasn’t conducive to running. Especially considering she’d been in leggings and a tunic. He caught up enough to see her gab ahold of a tree and disappear.

.~*~.

Farron stared at the messenger. It had been over a week since he’d last heard from Oz. The man hadn’t responded to any of his messages. Now, with the news of Grandice’s possible deception, he needed his help more than ever. 

**Odysseus: I’m not sure why you’ve been ignoring my messages, but I really need your help. You’re the only one that can help.**

**Oz_Pinhead: With?**

Farron sighed. It was dangerous to be so invested in someone that he didn’t know beyond words on a screen. Especially since running into the redhead. Just as he’d acknowledged that back hacking him would be easy if Oz tapped into Farron’s camera, he couldn’t risk doing it himself.

**Odysseus: I need to hack the Steel Council.**

(Across town, Rhiannon choked on her sandwich.)

A new window opened. It was a voice app that the two of them had used once before. The sound was distorted enough that recording couldn’t be cleaned up.

“Are ye serious? Or just insane?”

“It’s not impossible,” Farron said defensively.

“Nay. Jus’ very nearly.”

“It-”

“It would ‘ave tae be done from inside the Steel Council. And ye couldn’ do it because yer handle is monitored by the Council.”

“You’re Caelish.” Farron’s surprise at finding out something concrete about the other man causing him to speak when he shouldn’t.

“I-”

The call disconnected and Farron cursed. While Caelum was technically part of Ishgar, they were an island to the east of Fiore. They had their own language and only joined the confederation out of necessity. He could probably find Oz through his Visa. And his father would probably support this abuse of power.

**Odysseus: I’m sorry, but you’re right. That’s why I asked for your help.**

**Oz_Pinhead: Why?**

**Odysseus: Why what?**

**Oz_Pinhead: Why do something that borders on suicidal?**

**Odysseus: Because I think they’re deliberately hiding Fomorian actions.**

.~*~.

Marinette noticed that Rhiannon had been sitting quietly at the computer. She came up behind her and looked over the messages.

“Is he insane?”

“Quite possibly,” Rhiannon muttered.

“You should help him.”

“Are ye insane?” She turned to look at her roommate.

“No. But if he’s right- You should help.”

“Why?”

“Because Raven Tail is Fomorian. Grandice might be covering for them. If he is, then that might be your way of dealing with him without selling out Farron.”

**Oz_Pinhead: What did you have in mind?**

.~*~.

Farron stared at the message in surprise. He was half expecting him to refuse.

**Odysseus: I know a blood hound. He’ll help you get in.**

**Oz_Pinhead: This is a bad idea on so many levels…**

.~*~.

Lucy was bored. That was a dangerous thing for her to be. And especially dull since Kaleb was in his office so she couldn’t indulge in her usual past time as of late. There was also still glitter. Everywhere. It was impossible to get rid of without Virgo’s help. Something she hadn’t yet mentioned to Kaleb.

She should train with Corvus. The magic of his key felt both alien and familiar. There were a handful of keys that had been classified dark keys by Étoiles long before Lucy’s birth. The darker magic didn’t come as naturally to her and she found herself uncomfortable using his key outside of breaking into Kaleb’s office.

She didn’t regret that because he seemed to enjoy this usage. Like many spirits, he’d been abused by previous owners. Once upon a time, when the family was larger, Heartfilias protected the spirits. Martina, Emery’s mother, still did when she could and would send the duplicates to trusted mages.

It had been his idea to move the furniture. They liked rearranging the bookshelf. By keeping the sets together but putting them on different shelves, a quick perusal of the room would recognize something as off.

When Virgo installed the glitter bomb, they decided to test it on Corvus. He’d sputtered and looked at her with a bewildered expression. His dark and menacing persona completely ruined by the pink, princess glitter. After she’d finished laughing, Lucy turned to Virgo and said it should be the fine glitter as if there wasn’t a confused spirit gawking at her.

She probably should go into the office. However, Vander let it slip that they were planning something. According to Juvia, her absence had been noted but officially, Jose was refusing to call her out on it. Besides, she could access what she needed from home and had been working. That they’d refused to reprimand her served as evidence in Lucy’s mind that there truly was something shady about her employment.

Somehow, she found herself at the fire station. The silence of her apartment was probably at fault because Natsu was halfway through his shift. A lot of times, Happy would go with him since the entire fire station were mages, they didn’t bat much of an eye at his presence.

“Uh hi. I’m looking for Natsu Dragneel,” she said to the man that opened the door to the living quarters when she knocked.

“Sure. Come on in but stay in the living room. No telling how dressed anyone is.”

“You’re one to talk,” she said, her eyes trailing down at boxers. He was a good-looking man though not nearly as impressive as a Pradesh. He was fair-skinned with black hair and pretty, dark blue eyes. On his chest was the familiar guild tattoo.

“Shit. Uh- I can explain?”

“I don’t need to know.”

“Okay. I’m Gray Fullbuster.”

“Lucy Heartfilia.” As soon as she shook his hand, she knew. “You’re a Fairy Tail mage?”

“Yeah.”

“Can you tell Natsu that I’m going to be outside?”

“Sure.”

Lucy was pacing outside when she heard Natsu’s boisterous greeting.

“Why?” Lucy demanded, causing the dragon slayer to skid to a stop.

“What?”

“Gray. I met him.”

“Oh.” He looked down at his feet as he shuffled awkwardly.

“Yeah. He’s a Fairy Tail mage. How long?”

“Freshman year.”

“Fucking hell.” Lucy started walking away before rounding back. “Why? It’s not because he’s male so why?”

“Because I’d have to leave you and I didn’t want to do that.”

“I’m not some helpless flower-”

“Yes, you are. And you’re-”

His sentence was interrupted by Lucy punching him.

“Four years. Four years that I’ve been worried about who your mate would be. Four years that you just wanted to monopolize my time. That you’ve sabotaged my relationships.

“I don’t need your protection.”

She stormed off and was halfway to MBT before she’d actually decided to go. Hestor was training. Since he worked there, he had more flexibility in the time he could spend in the gym.

“Lucy?” Hestor said when she marched up to him.

“I need a sparring partner.”

“Zen’s not here to play referee.”

“I don’t care. You won’t hold back.”

Hestor shrugged and they moved into one of the rings. There were only a handful of people training. The few that had seen the two train together looked nervous. One, a blond man with green eyes, slipped out with the intent to warn Farron or Kaleb.

Ultimately, it would be Leo that separated the two of them. Even without magic, the two were out of breath with definite signs of bruises beginning to form. Both had feral but pleased looks on their faces. They looked over when they realized that Kaleb was standing on the other side of the rope.

It was hard for Kaleb to decide if they were blushing, over-exerted, or injured.

“Anything broken?” he finally asked.

“Nearly my nose but other than that.” Hestor shrugged. There was almost approval in his voice at that.

Lucy ignored Kaleb as she climbed out of the ring.

“Go to the infirmary,” he said to Hestor before jogging after Lucy. “Lucy-”

“Go away.”

“No.”

“Corvus,” she said, summoning the spirit. “Please take us to his office.”

The spirit frowned. He understood she used pranking Kaleb’s office as a way to adapt to his magic. The action came from a place of love (not that she was willing to acknowledge that yet) and he could feel her light when she summoned him.

Right then, she was upset. He could feel that she was hurting emotionally, and he opened his mouth to defend Lucy against Kaleb before feeling another spirit pulling him back to the celestial realm. She didn’t react though Kaleb looked a bit surprised.

"Want to tell me why you were trying to kill Hestor?"

"He's Hestor," she replied with a shrug.

"While there's plenty who'd agree with that sentiment, it's not you."

She sat down on the couch and pulled her legs up. “One condition.”

“What?”

“Can I stay at your house tonight?”

“Of course.” He recognized that the request meant that the problem was Natsu.

She tapped her temple and let him in. In her memories, he saw years of Laxus and Natsu sabotaging relationships. Of ice cream and romcoms after break-ups. Of jealousy that Natsu would have a mate. Of feeling guilty each year that passed and he hadn’t found his mate yet. Of being guilted out of relationships.

Then he saw what had happened that day.

“Lucy…” he murmured.

“Don’t. Please.”

Kaleb sat down next to her but was careful not to touch her. “I know you have feelings for Zen and me. Neither of us are Natsu. Everything will be at your pace.”

She gave him a weak smile. “I have different feelings towards you two. It’s like, you’re a promise. That some way, some how, I was going find my way back to you. But with Zen, he’s a blank slate. Even though we knew each other as toddlers, I don’t have memories of him. I keep wondering what it would’ve been like growing up with everyone. Growing up the mage that I should have been.”

“As long as you want me, I’ll be here.”

She closed her eyes and rested her head on his thigh. _Thank the stars for leg day._ He chuckled. _All right. You can get outta my head now._

“Thanks,” she said softly.

.~*~.

The Steel Council’s offices were innocuous. There were only a half-dozen people that worked in the office on the daily, so it occupied one floor of a skyscraper. It was off the main thoroughfare.

Vander was bored waiting for Oz, despite his curiosity. That lessened as a woman approached. She wore all black though her bright red hair made her stand out. The piercings in her face caught the light and glittered.

“Vander, I assume?” she asked.

“I’d definitely remember sleeping with you so-”

“I’m Oz.”

“You’re…Oz? You’re a woman?”

Rhiannon reached up and cupped her breasts. “Jus’ checkin’ that the girls were still there since yer statin’ the obvious.”

“But your name-”

“ _The Wonderful Wizard of Oz_ by L. Frank Baum. I’m the man behind the curtain. Erm…woman.”

“Oh.”

“How are we doin’ this?”

He smirked, grabbed her, and void jumped them to the security room that he’d scoped out.

“Fuck,” she cursed, bending over with her hands on her knees and dry heaving.

“It’s best not to warn people. Makes them tense up.”

“Fuck that.”

He watched as she moved to the computer that monitored the security of the building. From her shoulder bag, she pulled out wires and a secondary computer.

“How long will this take?”

“It’ll tak’ as long as it takes.”

 _She’s working,_ Vander said into the shared link between Farron and Kaleb.

 _She?_ both men questioned.

 _Yup. Not sure she’d have been your type otherwise._ Vander sent his brothers an image of her from his angle watching her and the door. Most of Farron’s previous attempts at relationships had been with men or women that could look the part of a CEO’s spouse. Not the young woman with at least four facial piercings and looked like a movie’s black hat hacker.

_I’ve met her. Well, almost. And it was like everything Dad always described about meeting Mom for the first time._

_Then Vander, make sure she doesn’t escape,_ Arman chimed in.  

Vander wasn’t certain if he imagined it or not, but he was certain that he heard his brothers’ shudder in sympathy.

“I’m in.”

“Already?”

“I’m that good.”

“And modest.”

“What’s the point o’ modesty when I’m _that_ good? Hence why I’m ‘ere an’ not Farron.”

“You know…”

She glanced away from the screen as she processed what she’d said. “Shit.”

“How do you know?”

“I hacked MBT. Got his real name from their logs.”

 _She did what?_ Vander didn’t need to see to know that Farron was now looking for signs of her break-in on their systems.

“How?”

“Agreste Fashions. Amateur hacker used his personal computer on their system an’ I used the opening.”

 _Why?_ Farron asked and Vander echoed.

“‘Cause I made a deal wi’ the devil that came due. Hopefully-”

“Hopefully what?”

“Hopefully yer right an’ this brings ‘em down tae.”

They were silent as she worked. He noticed that her brow scrunched, and she fiddled with her snakebite piercing.

“I dinnae understand this code. I’m takin’ it wi’ me an’ workin’ on it at home. I’ll send it tae Farron from there.”

“Pack it up then.”

Instead of void jumping her out of the building, Vander jumped her to the Pradesh manor. At first, the house reminded her of her parents’ house in Caelum. There were pictures of family and different knick-knacks of children’s crafts. She could feel the warmth of the family that resided there.

“Fuck,” she cursed when she saw Arman. “You know, just for this, I’m not voting for you again.”

“We’re not holding you against your will. We just want you to meet Farron. Properly.”

Her eyes darted to the closest of many pictures. This one was of Farron and Kaleb standing underneath the MBT sign.

“I cannae. Not yet. Dinnae make this messy.”

She started to leave, keeping Arman and Vander in her line of sight. The young man was noticeably taking his cues from his father and remembering what she’d learned about him, she let Arman in a bit. Admitted that she did want to meet Farron, but it wasn’t time.

She made out the door and down the first step before realizing that Farron was standing frozen at the bottom of the stairs.

When her eyes met his, Farron felt the world tilt. Then heard her soul. She was scared. Not of him or for herself. For him. The person that she was scared of, _Ivan_ , she feared what he’d do to him.

“Rhiannon,” he breathed.

“It’s good tae meet ye, Odysseus,” she said, then launched herself over the railing. As soon as she landed, she disappeared.

“What did you get from her?” Vander asked as Arman poured Farron a glass of whiskey.

“Her name’s Rhiannon McKinnon. Smuggled to Bosco by Ivan Dreyer who ordered her to hack into MBT. The first time we talked, it was because I caught her doing an initial evaluation of our firewalls. And it was a fluke.”

“She said she was good,” Vander commented.

“Son,” Arman said, placing a hand on his shoulder. “She’s a dragon slayer, isn’t she?”

“Yes. How’d you know?”

“I heard hints of it in her soul. But it’s developed differently than with Emi or Cris. What are you going to do?”

“Trust her wishes. Wait until she’s ready.”

“Not too long. I want grandbabies.”

.~*~.

“What do you mean the Steel Council was hacked? How is that even possible?” Kurino hissed.

“It was hacked from the inside,” Grandice said.

“Can you track the magic signatures?” the projection of Hisui asked.

“Vander Pradesh’s signature, yes. The hacker, no. Since he’s a Blood Hound, the shields didn’t react to his presence beyond cataloguing it. Either the hacker wasn’t a mage or didn’t use their magic.”

“What all did they get?” Kurino demanded.

“We think they copied everything, because they couldn’t read it.”

“That’ll give us some time,” Hisui mused. “And the plans to awaken the queen?”

“I still think that plan is stupid,” Kurino muttered.

“We need Acnologia and Eris,” Grandice reminded her. The sigh evident in his voice. “According to Acnologia and Ivan, her magic derives from light, love, and compassion. I think if we hurt either one of her dragons or one of the Pradeshes-”

“Not Farron,” Kurino hissed.

“Why them?” Hisui asked, ignoring Kurino.

“Our surveillance shows they’re close. Layla and Ganier were friends as well.”

“Not Farron.”

“Fine. Kaleb or Zen seem to the better options anyways.”

“Not Zen. I want him,” Hisui said.

“Kaleb, it is.”

.~*~.

Lucy poked her head into Farron’s office on her way to grab Kaleb for a lunch date only to find the man scowling at his computer.

“You’re gonna end up with wrinkles.”

“So I’ve been told. But this code.” He looked ready to attack his screen.

She walked over to stand behind him and read the screen. “It’s Celestial.”

“What?”

“The Language of the Spirits. What you’re looking at now look like a progress report from a few years ago. An assassination? Farron, what is this?”

“Everything from the Steel Council.”

“They’re supposed to be the good guys.”

“The world isn’t black or white.” Farron looked up at her. “How many people could write this?”

“Dean Kalperden or Martina… Maybe? Beyond that, I can’t think of anyone. I mean, give you, Freed, or Levy some time and you could write decently. But it’s more than that. This reads with a fluency that I’m not sure a human could achieve.

“Could you print me a copy? Double spaced?”

“Sure. Why?”

“I can give it to Grandpa Crux to work on. He’ll probably have it done in a week depending.”

“Thanks.”

“I’ll pick it up after lunch.” She hugged him and started walking out.

“Have fun.”

 

“I can’t believe you like _Narnia_ better. That you think the _Narnia_ series is better than _Lord of the Rings._ ” Lucy sounded thoroughly appalled at the idea.

“I didn’t say it was better. Just that I liked it better.”

“I’m not sure that clarifies _anything_.”

“You, Emi, and Xally read romance novels. As if that’s anything but housewife porn.”

“It’s not, but we’re not pretending it’s great literature. It’s a guilty pleasure. And what does any of that have to do with you thinking that _Narnia_ is better that _Lord of the Rings_?”

“I was hoping to side-track you.”

“That’s gonna require a lot less clothing.” She slapped her hands over her mouth and glared at Kaleb as he chuckled. “You know what? I can’t look at you right now.” She marched ahead though she could still feel his presence behind her.

_Ten years of Legolas jokes makes me not like the books. Though, if you’d like to crawl into my lap while I read to you, I could reignite my fondness._

_Ugh. You’re just- And Legolas jokes are not a valid excuse._

“Mr. Pradesh.” The voice was subtle enough that she almost missed it. The sound of the broomstick breaking, and the first scream was enough to stop her from continuing to walk away.

Lucy turned in time to see Kaleb falling. It took a moment for it to register before she was stumbling and running out of her heels. Leo and Virgo summoned themselves, not realizing they were in a public space. Both spirits shrugged and grabbed the shooter.

“Hey. This is nothing,” she said.

She didn’t think the shooter was a mage, but whomever supplied the weapon was. The bullet covered in dark magic that stung even her fingertips when her hand moved too close. Leo was digging in her abandoned purse for her cellphone. Not that it would matter. It was early enough in the day that Cristoff was at the hospital.

The bullet negated his magic somehow. As close as she’d been standing, she should have felt a pulse of it reacting to the shock. Somehow, she knew his family didn’t feel it either.

He reached for her.

“No. No. You’re not allowed to die so knock it off.” The corner of his lip quirked up before his eyes closed. “No!” she screamed, the pulse of her magic not registering in her mind.

It was enough to force Leo and Virgo back to the celestial realm. As well as any other spirits within a hundred miles. Emery sighed and closed the book she was reading.

 _“The queen’s awoken,”_ Maat told Hestor through their link.

Cristoff, Emzadi, and Rhiannon froze where they were when they felt the unfamiliar power wrap around them like an embrace. Emzadi, who was at the fire station, heard Natsu breathe, “Lucy…”

In Fiore, Weislogia, Skiadrum, and Grandeena felt the magic first. They recognized it as Heartfilia magic and prepared to call Jude to find out where Lucy was. The magic would serve as a dog whistle for Sting, Rogue, and Wendy.

Farron, who’d been in the middle of a call, dropped the phone as golden wings encased him.

In the middle of the street, silver wings knocked Lucy into Kaleb’s chest where the last thing she heard was his heartbeat returning to a strong and steady rhythm before falling unconscious.

 

Acnologia smirked. “That worked out better than I thought it would.”


	16. Asleep, perchance to dream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Nice" Hestor and the Hall of Two Truths are the creation of Nightmare Senshi.

**Oz_Pinhead: I saw the news. Is everything alright?**

**Odysseus: Kaleb’s still unconscious but will live. Lucy’s in a coma. She’s touch and go.**

…~*~...

**_Ten years earlier…_ **

Kaleb was watching flashes of his life. He’d been prepared for that though. The sensation of being sucked into them, of feeling them, that he hadn’t expected.

It surprised him how much the memories of Lucy still stung. He was fifteen and going through his immersion. He’d been through his induction. But still, the promise of the potential stung.

_“I’ve got you.”_

_“See? I had a way down.”_

_Kaleb rolled his eyes at her cheeky answered. He had a suspicious feeling that either Erza or Brandi was giving her more adult romance novels._

_“I’ll always catch you, but please stop putting yourself in danger.”_

_“Always?”_

_He squatted down so that she could get on his back. “Always. And don’t act like you haven’t always had me wrapped around your finger.”_

_She giggled._

 

A woman walked up to Kaleb and suddenly, he was no longer in his younger body but standing as a bystander, watching Lucy pull him along.

The woman wore a blue-green ballgown with either hoops or many layers of petticoats. The heavy-looking crown on her auburn hair seemed uncomfortable.

“That’s an interesting promise to make and not keep,” she said.

“I meant to. I couldn’t have planned her mother dying,” Kaleb said, glancing at Layla who was fussing over Lucy’s carelessness. He remembered being scared he was going to be reprimanded but Layla and his father acknowledged that he was bordering on incapable of telling Lucy ‘no.’

“And yet now, you’re moving on.”

“I have to.”

“No, you don’t. Layla can’t stop what is to come. The Star Maiden must return. She’ll need you.”

“She’s always had me.”

“Always? All of you?”

The memory shifted to him having a nightmare. There only bits and pieces that he remembered before the slave ship. Not even his clan tattoos giving him much to go on. Every so often though, he’d have nightmares. Somehow, before they’d even registered with Farron or his father, Lucy was climbing into his bed and wrapping herself around him.

_“You are safe. You are loved. And you are home,” she whispered._

“Yes,” he said. “All of me.”

“Then I look forward to seeing your wings.” The woman turned, seeming to walk away.

“Who are you?”

“Cassiopeia.”

…~*~...

“Where is she?” Jude said frantically, still holding his carry-on bag.

“Jude,” Arman said, trying to soothe him. “She’s not in this wing.”

Arman led him through the hallways to a separate wing of the hospital. It was quieter and even he could recognize the tingling sensation of magic.  The walls held a slight pulse of the tubes written on them.

“What happened?” he asked upon entering the room. Natsu was sitting on the couch with Emery sprawled across him. Both had fallen asleep at some point in the early morning.

“Her third origin exploded open, triggering her to awaken dormant archangel genes in Farron and Kaleb. Farron’s fine but Kaleb was dying. He’s still sleeping it off as his body finishes recovering. She managed to create a bond with Cris and Emi. It's too much magic.”

“Is she dying?”

“We don't know yet.”

Arman caught Jude as he started to sag and settled him into a chair by the bed. The blond man looked as if he'd aged ten years.

“Lucy, sweetheart, I need you to wake up for Papa. Please.”

…~*~…

**_Fifteen years earlier…_ **

“Look, Mama!” seven-year-old Lucy said excitedly.  She had her arms stretched out wide to show her mom how she'd summoned Aquarius.

“That's amazing, Sweetie.”

Over her head, Layla and Aquarius exchanged concerned looks.

 

“Her magic is maturing too quickly.” Layla's voice was panicked as she paced in their bedroom.

“You've put the cap on it, right?” Jude asked. His tone was trying to be comforting.

“Yes, but she could push through it. It's fifteen generations of magic flowing through her. You don't understand how much magic that is. I'm not sure _I_ appreciate how much magic that is.”

“If she pushed through the block, what would happen to her?”

“It could kill her. But it was the only way.”

“She'll be fine. We'll make sure she is.”

…~*~…

Kaleb woke up first. Even though he accepted Cristoff’s command to stay at the hospital for observation, he’d moved himself to Lucy’s room. He told his father about the memory he’d had from during his immersion. Arman told him to talk to Emery.

“Sounds like her,” Emery said when Kaleb told her.

“You have the contract with her?”

“Yes.  Ptolemaic royals stay within the family. Hisui had a temper tantrum when Lucy passed the keys to me.”

“She's not a Heartfilia.”

“Technically, neither am I. From what I’ve gathered, the archangels were a joint creation between the Watchers and Cassiopeia.”

“Why?” Kaleb asked.

“Still working on that.”

~*~

They were halfway into the second day of Lucy's coma. As a Heartfilia, Lucy was immune to Cristoff's magic. However, she was also being resistant to Zen's healing magic.

Emery caught Cristoff as he was leaving his shift. The two didn't spend much time together since Lucy's birthday, but she sent him emails when going through her mother's research found pertinent ideas.

“Share pleasure with me,” she said quickly. The sentence came out as a single word.

“What?”

“I need- I'm not sure what I need but-”

Cristoff tilted her chin up and kissed her. She whimpered into the kiss and tasted the mint on his breath. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

Cristoff kissed her again before guiding her to a privacy room.

…~*~...

**_Four hundred years ago…_ **

Lucy was standing in a war room. There were men bustling around and a single woman. The walls had the tapestries that Lucy remembered learning were more for keeping the room insolated than decoration. In the center of the room was a large table with a map and little figurines that were being moved around.

What she didn’t understand was how she instinctively knew that they were fight dragon slayers and humans. While she was a bystander, she also seemed linked with the single woman in the room. The dress was the most comfortable the woman owned but some aspect of Lucy was sympathetically squirming.

“They breached the perimeter,” a man said.

The woman stared at where the man gestured. The woman seemed so familiar to Lucy. She was younger than what Lucy would expect from someone that seemed to demand respect.

“Evelyn’s out, right?” she asked. That was her daughter. Lucy could feel the maternal aspect of her fear.

“Yes, your highness. Your mother is facing Acnologia as we speak.”

Lucy gasped, realizing that the woman was Alanna, her ancestor. Her mother, Anna, would die fighting Acnologia. If Emery’s figures were accurate, Alanna was the one that would make the deal with Hestia.

“Those damned humans,” the man said.

“It isn’t their fault. All they see is magic tearing through their towns. It doesn’t help that Ares has abandoned them to their rampant destruction,” Alanna said.

“That may be but we’re now fighting a war on two fronts. We’re fighting them and the dragon slayers.”

“I know. But until the gods see fit to give us another option, this is what we must do.”

“I understand.”

Alanna walked to the window and stared out it. It was a clear day and she could see signs of a dangerously close battle happening.

“I’m going to the temple,” she announced.

 

With the fall of Acnologia, the dragon slayers were more dangerous than ever. Without a doubt, he was a mad man, but he’d had his goals and wouldn’t allow anyone to interfere.

Alanna was tending the fire in the temple. The Dove had fallen in the fight against Acnologia. His daughter and her mother were in hiding. None of that stopped the dragon slayers or the enraged humans.

“Hello.” The girl that spoke was prepubescent. Her black hair was braided and she wore a simple shift dress. Something in her red-orange eyes that screamed maturity.

“Hello? Who are you?”

The girl smiled. “Hestia.”

“My goddess,” Alanna gasped, dropping to a knee.

“Rise. We don’t have time for that.”

Alanna stood. “I don’t understand. Why are you here?”

“The dragon slayers need a guardian. Someone that’ll protect them and guide them.”

“And you are asking…me? Why?” Alanna asked, frowning.

Hestia’s tone was passive as she said, “You potentially have the most to gain. And it wouldn’t be just you. It would be your bloodline. You’d have the power to create bonds with them that will allow you to influence them as well as an immunity to their magic including the mating and kinship.”

“In exchange, I’ll need warriors. Someone to protect me while I search out the dragon slayers. And a protection for my people from the humans.”

“There’s something in the works concerning the warriors. What did you have in mind as far as protections for your people?”

“Remove us from their memories and we’ll create a secret society.”

“I’ll need help from some of the other gods but yes, I believe that can be arranged.”

“Thank you.”

“Blessings, my dear.”

The goddess disappeared and the young queen walked over to the window. There was still smoke in the distance, but maybe not for much longer.

…~*~...

“Cristoff?” Emery said, catching as he left Lucy’s room.

“Yeah?” he asked turning around.

“I think I might have found something in Mom’s notes. Something that could give us a clue about your mom.”

“Where? What is it?”

“It’s in Bellum. It was a possible location for where they hid Acnologia.”

He kissed her. A far too quick kiss. “Thank you.”

~*~

Xally's eyes widened when Lynn walked in. Her blue-black hair had become red-black that was noticeably red under the florescent lights. 

“Hey, Wifey,” Lynn said. She pecked Xally's cheek when she joined her in the nurses’ station.

“Uh careful. Laxus is around.”

She scrunched her nose. “Why? He's not usually the buzz around type."

“His sister is here.”

“Oh man. What happened?”

“She got sick. She’s in a coma.”

“Shit. Is she stable? Who’s the attending?”

“Castaldo and yes, but we’re not certain when she’ll wake. So, why did you dye your hair?”

“I know. It’s weird, right? I didn’t dye it. And look at these curls. They were not there before and you know my hair won’t even hold onto waves,” she said, tugging on a curl to marvel at its ability to bounce back.

“Before when?”

“Two days ago?”

Xally maintained a poker face while wondering if it was possible that the burst of magic Lucy released could affect her Milesian friend.

...~*~...

**_Four hundred years ago…_ **

“What did you do?” Alanna demanded of her little sister’s spirit.

“What do you mean?” Cassiopeia’s tone was smug.

“The archangels have no will against celestial mages.”

The spirit shrugged. “They’re supposed to be your guards. And this keeps them from being able to defy you and become a threat to the celestial realms.”

“Remove it.”

“I cannot nor would I.”

“This makes them slaves. They were human beings.”

“I will not change my mind.”

The spirit disappeared and Alanna screamed in pain with tears flowing down her cheeks. Vanya was clutching Cassiopeia’s key so tightly that her hand was bleeding. Only nine archangels had been created: three morning stars, three midday stars, and three evening stars.

A celestial mage had drained an evening star. It hadn’t been intentional but the archangel didn’t have the ability to break the bond to protect herself. They'd noticed the strange reactions but there'd been prearranged partners.

To get Ares on board with her side of the agreement, Hestia had talked Aphrodite into helping. To get Aphrodite to help, the archangels had to mate. Alanna had scoffed, thinking that it hadn’t helped much with the dragon slayers, but so far, only two of the archangels had mated their bonded celestial mage.

The archangels were getting skittish and celestial mages were getting dangerous ideas. The spirits were warning their mages against the idea of stealing an archangel but the idea was floating around.

Even Alanna’s own Hawk warned that he’d be tempted if an archangel hadn’t already been chosen for him. And her Dove didn’t have a full set of keys yet, so she was heavily relying on her archangel. Enough that Alanna worried she might drain the angel as well.

Alanna turned to her sister. “Tell Gathriel and that’s it.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. I don’t want to encourage the idea that they can steal another mage’s archangel. There’s enough conflict courtesy of their strength.”

Vanya nodded and left. Alone in the room, Alanna dropped to the ground. Jacamar appeared, having sensed her pain.

“I take it that it didn't go well?” Jacamar squatted down to look at her.

“No.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know.”

He sat down next to her and let his presence comfort her.

...~*~...

“I have the books from Dean Kalperden,” Hestor said, walking into Lucy’s hospital room. Kaleb had asked him to get the books from his office since he was the only one that had seen them.

“Thanks,” Kaleb said. When his hand brushed Hestor’s, he felt the spark of magic of a celestial mage. Emery’s presence helped him adjust to the new sensation.

Zen had Farron in flying lessons. When Kaleb was willing to leave Lucy’s side, he would need to take lessons as well.

“You should go to the townhouse. Sleep in your own bed.”

“Later.”

Hestor pursed his lips. This woman had her keys handed to her. Powerful, light keys. The Hall keys were powerful but dark. They were manipulative. Now, she had an archangel waiting for her. One who’d loved her even when he couldn’t be around her.

That it was Kaleb…

“Did you read this?” Kaleb asked, interrupting Hestor’s thoughts.

“The other one on the flight back. Lucy’s the queen. The Star Maiden.”

“Yes.” Kaleb flipped through the book and showed him a drawing. It was of a man surrounded by familiar spirits.

**Ventaire Solis. Hawk for Anna Étoile and Alanna Étoile.**

“That's the Hall Keys,” Hestor murmured.

“Yes. The queen, the Star Maiden, had two councilors: the Hawk and the Dove. The Dove wielded the Ivory keys of the Watchers and the Hawk wielded the Obsidian keys of the Hall of Two Truths.

“You said Maat and Ammit never let Kek-t or the others drive you too dark, I suspect this is why.”

“I think you’re right,” Hestor said quietly. “Leo threatened me. Told me to remember my place.”

Kaleb reached up and cupped his cheek. “See? There’s always been a place for you.”

“Yeah. I should get going.”

 

Hestor stood on Rowan’s doorstep. The redhaired man pursed his lips as he looked at the smaller man. The two had a standing appointment but Rowan cared enough for his friend that he was always welcome so long as he didn’t have another client.

“Are you going to let me in or are going to keep having this staring contest?” he asked after Rowan leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed and surveying him in silence for too long.

“Depends? What are you here for?”

“Everything.”

“Then let’s start with dinner. C’mon. Let’s grab a bite at that Stellan place you like.”

Hestor blinked but followed after the other man had grabbed his wallet and keys.

~*~

Farron almost didn’t look up when the door opened until he heard the familiar fiddle of the woman’s soul and jumped up. “Oz. Rhiannon.”

She smiled but refused to look at him. Much less acknowledge the staining of her cheeks. “‘Tis a wee bit weird how happy hearin’ ye say my name makes me.”

“I can keep saying it.”

He wasn’t sure how to react to her presence, so he simply studied her. She hadn’t attempted to tame her wild red curls. With the exception of her eyebrow piercing, she wore no jewelry and was dressed like someone visiting a CEO through the front door. A fantasy flitted through his mind of him hiking up her skirt and taking her on his desk and he honestly wasn’t sure which of them thought it.

“How did you get in?”

“Hacked the receptionist’s computer tae show that I had an appointment.”

“Why?”

“Saw ye workin’. Ye should be spendin’ time wi’ ye family. Yer stressed and yer gettin’ sloppy.”

“I am not.”

“Ye are.”

“Are you here to tell me I’m not as good as you?”

“I think I ‘ave.” She pulled a video game out of her shoulder bag. “I came tae distract ye.”

“Did you hack this one?”

“Like I’d need tae ta beat ye.”

He walked around the desk and pulled her into a kiss. She squeaked in surprise before moving to her tiptoes to help deepen the kiss. The barbell had been replaced by something subtler and the thought of her giving him a blowjob with it caused him to harden slightly.

He was grateful that he could hear her soul. Her magic was neither holy or celestial. Since awakening as an archangel, he’d wondered what that meant for them. That he could hear her reigning in the instinct to push him to the ground and claim him. And he was half-inclined to let her.

She was the first to pull away. “Video games?”

“Yeah.”

While they played, he told her about Lucy. Encouraged the dragon slayer to meet her since it stood to reason that Rhiannon was now bonded to Lucy, just as Emzadi and Cristoff were.

After losing three rounds and promising drinks, he made a mental note to buy that game because he did _not_ like losing.

…~*~…

**_Three hundred, fifty years ago…_ **

“Are you sure that you want to do this?” Galasfriel asked.

He and Evelyn were standing in a stone circle. All she wore was a white shift that was so thin that he could see every detail of her figure. A figure that he’d seen many times.

“It’s the only time I can. I do not have a Dove or Hawk.”

“I won’t be able to return to you.”

“I know.”

“I’m the last-”

“Gal!” Her tone was a mixture of amusement and exasperation. “The enchantment has been put in place.”

She placed a hand to her abdomen where her spirits had been quick to warn her of the stirring life. It would be impossible to know if it belonged to Galasfriel or Sinon. She was married by the time Galasfriel, the last of the archangels, returned to the Étoile throne, but the compulsion magic worked both ways.

He dropped to his knees and pressed his face into her abdomen. “I don’t like this idea,” he said. “I don’t like the idea of leaving you.”

“Don’t make me force you,” she said, threading her fingers through his brown hair.

“What if tir-na-nog doesn’t last until your prophesy comes true?” he asked as he stood up.

“It will. It must. And if it doesn’t…then maybe that’s for the best as well. Each descendent will become stronger until a Hawk, a Dove, and an archangel returns.”

She held out her hands and a crown appeared. It was gold and designed to look like laurel leaves decorated with stellarium. The crown snapped easily before disappearing in light and reappearing as two golden keys with half a crown at the top.

Evelyn placed the two keys into his hand, kissed him, and watched him fly away.

…~*~…

“What’s with you?” Gray asked, sitting on the bed opposite of Natsu.

Natsu had decided not to call out, figuring that he’d get some activity at the station. Anything was better than being cooped up in that hospital room. Instead, it was dead. The exercise room wasn’t interesting after an hour.

“What do you mean?”

“You’re acting like your-” he stopped and looked around for Emzadi- “like you’re on your period,” he said in a low voice.

“My best friend is mad at me and in the hospital.”

“The hot blonde? What did ya do?”

Natsu narrowed his eyes as he sat up, looking at Gray. “Yeah. I didn’t do this. I’m a dragon slayer. And you’re my mate.” He yanked Gray by the collar and kissed him.

“About damned time. I’ve known since freshman year,” the ice mage said before pulling his dragon slayer into another kiss.

~*~

Lucy bolted up in the bed screaming, tears flowing down her cheeks. She knew how the archangels were created. And how they died. She’d felt Alanna’s pain each time one was gone.

“Lucy!”

“Sweetheart!”

Kaleb let Jude engulf her in a hug, but her eyes met his and he saw the visions that occupied her for the three, almost four, days that she was in a coma.

“I’m okay, Dad,” she said. “How long was I out?”

“Almost four days,” Jude answered.

“Seems longer.”

“For us too,” Kaleb said.

~*~

She liked this form. Or rather, she liked the reactions this form elicited. The last time a Blackwell had managed to pull her forward, it was through self-loathing. That had been a century ago.

It was a street fair with live music, so no one batted an eye at her dancing. Well, there were more than a few lascivious looks. It helped that Nesryn dressed as someone that liked to be the center of attention. The skirt that already revealed a lot of leg, flared when she spun.

Her hands brushed against arms and shoulders. She wasn’t strong enough to feed on mages so Milesians would have to do. A small giggle left her lips as she felt the first wave of chaos as the first punch was thrown.

The sight of a man leaning against a pole stopped her. He was tan with blue markings on his arms and face. His dark blue-grey hair was long and wild. Nesryn was so fair that it was hard to believe that they were related.

“Eris,” he said.

She gave him a crooked smirk revealing a dimple in her cheek. “Hi, Daddy.”


	17. More Mates

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, look! There's some fluff.

Lucy had managed to talk Kaleb into going home, if only because Unification Day and the Chondassa Ritual were coming up. Cristoff promised that she'd be out in time to participate.

“You did what?” Lucy yelled, staring at her two best friends. Natsu just told her about telling Gray that they were mates. Followed by Emery telling her that she’d slept with Cristoff.

“Natsu, go finish the mating. You two have two days off and I’ll talk to Emi about covering for you.” Looking at Emery, she said, “You, sit. Tell me everything.”

“I’m curi-”

“No. Go.” Her expectant gaze didn’t leave her cousin as Natsu walked out. “How? Why?”

“I’m pretty sure you know the how. The why is a bit more complicated. I was upset and just needed to not think for a while.”

“But- He’s Cristoff. Not an attendant at a bathhouse.”

She closed her eyes and rubbed the bridge of her nose. “I know. That’s where I’m regretting this now. Especially since he’s a dragon. And-”

“Your mother will kill you?”

“Pretty much. I'm too old to be this scared of my mother killing me.”

“I know your mother. No, you're not.” The two women chuckled while thinking about the formidable woman.

“I take it you’ve heard about the whole thing with Kaleb and Cassiopeia.”

“Yeah.”

They weren’t bonded or mated but somewhere in between. He'd made the promise. Even if he hadn't remembered it, it had influenced the fact he couldn't settle down. That he'd waited for her.

Then Emery asked the one question only she would think to ask. “How do you feel about it?”

“I hate it. It feels like our free will was taken from us. Like, I'm glad that it means he's protected from the compulsion but- ugh. This isn't how I pictured this.”

“How so?”

“I'm his _only_ choice. He isn't choosing me from a field of millions. Or even the hundred celestial-type mages. Just a field of fucking one.”

“Have you said anything to him?”

“What would the point be?”

“I don't know but raging when he's not around isn't a solution.”

“I know, but I don't know a way around it. I wanted a whirlwind romance. I wanted to be swept off my feet.”

“We've both read some soulmate romances.”

“Yeah. They're great to read but not to live. Normally both sides agree to the mating. If I don’t agree, there’s no going back for him. Unless Andy has something.”

“She doesn’t. Her and Perseus are forging bands for Farron, but that’s about it. Cassiopeia also recently found out that Farron was in love with a dragon slayer. And that the dragon has no qualms calling dibs on an angel. She’s not amused.”

“That I believe.”

“You don’t have to tell me, but do you love him? Is the idea of being with him so awful that you’re repulsed? I get that you two have had a complicated, bumpy road since you’ve been back, but is it impossible to believe that you might’ve found your way to him otherwise?

“Maybe try starting from the beginning and going from there.”

“What are you going to do about Cristoff?”

“I don’t know.” Emery groaned and dropped her head to the mattress next to Lucy.

.~*~.

**Oz_Pinhead: What is going on? Have you seen the fights?**

**Odysseus: Yes. So far, it hasn't bled into tir-na-nog.**

**Oz_Pinhead: That's suspicious.**

**Odysseus: Do you want to go out tomorrow?**

He jumped when his phone rang. 

“Hello?”

“Are ye askin’ me out?”

“How’d you get my number?” It was silence and Farron was certain he could hear her _really_. “Never mind. Yes, I was.”

“I was hired by Fomorians tae help ‘em take down yer company, an’ yer askin’ me on a date.”

“Yes.”

“Nae. They watch me. ‘Tis one thing for me tae go tae yer office. But a date- Not until Ivan Dreyer and the rest o’ ‘em are behind bars or dead.”

He sighed. He’d heard her soul. Knew how much she feared for him. “How did you end up with him?”

“I was the product o’ an affair. When my magic appeared, they thought I was th’ devil. The first time I shifted, I ended up in Minstrel. I was seven, scared, hungry. Fomorians had tracked my magic signature. At first, I helped by pick-pocketin’. Then, when th’ archival aspect o’ my magic appeared, they taught me tae hack.”

“What changed?”

“I got boobs. Somebody decided that they’d make more money off me if they sold me.”

“To Ivan?”

“Nae. He was a potential buyer but caught me tryin’ tae escape. Decided tae help me in exchange for my servitude. He ‘as ‘is fingers in enough other pies that he left me alone for th’ most part. It was good, for a time.”

“Why does he want MBT?”

“‘Cause he wants Kaleb. Master o’ White Sea an’ all.” There was a pause. “Oh. Mari’s home. I’ll talk tae ye later.”

 

He was working on some of the arrangements for Chondassa. Particularly in Seven. Nuryev, the new king of tir-na-nog there, had sensed Lucy’s awakening. Farron and Arman had been fielding concerns from monarchs around Ishgar. Monarchs who were not keen on the fact that all their thrones, their crowns, had been enchanted that if a rightful heir to the Étoile throne arose, they’d step down.

Sydelle was another one that worried Farron. She liked her power and none of the Pradesh archangels were mated. There was no way to know how strong Lucy’s bond on Kaleb would be against Sydelle’s intent and the queen had never hidden that she still wanted Kaleb.

“Mr. Pradesh, this came for you,” Amelle, one of the shared assistants, said. The box she carried smelled amazing and his stomach grumbled from hunger he hadn’t realized he had.

Taped to the top of the box was a with a single word: roseoak.

He smiled and back hacked into her camera.

“Took ye long enough,” she said with a smile.

“The food just got here.”

“Excuses, excuses,” she teased. Then, her expression became nervous. “Will this do? I mean, everything is complicated, an’ I’d understand if-”

“Rhiannon, I want to kiss you,” Farron interjected. “My siblings have been teasing me about how much I like you for ages. They’re not wrong. I want _you._ And when you’re ready, I’ll show you how much.

“For now, stop getting nervous. You slip into Caelish and I’m not fluent enough to follow you when you’re rambling.”

“Right. Sorry.”

“Good. Do you think that you'd be able to make it to White Sea for Chondassa?”

“Probably? I'm sure my watchers will be too busy tae watch me. Why?”

“Because you're who I'd want to be with.” He smiled as he watched her flush red.

“Oh. Uh… Aye. I can manage ‘at.”

“I'm glad. So, who’s Mari? Glenda?”

He listened as she launched into talking about how she and Marinette met while making a note to talk to Agreste about hiring the designer.

.~*~.

He was stalking her. Once upon a time, he might’ve tried a better spin, but no. He was stalking her. And Lucy was going to laugh her ass off. Especially when she found out about him losing her on campus and trying to find her only to be tripped going around a corner.

“You know, I’ve spent a lifetime learning to give professional guards the slip. Do you really think your that impressive?” Novalie asked, her hands on her hips as she looked down at him.

“No idea, but the view from down here is rather sexy,” Erik said.

“The view from up here isn’t half bad either.”

“Half-bad? I know I’m sexy.” He stood then dusted himself off.

“Oh great. My mate has an ego the size of the moon.”

He laughed as he walked around her. She was curvy in all the right places. Her brown hair was held back in a simple ponytail and she wore more modest clothing. Though, probably still relatively scandalous by much of Ishgar’s standards. The side of her pants were mesh but instead of clan tattoos, they revealed flowers going up her thigh. Around her right wrist was the Endivosh crown with its ornate pattern going up her forearm.

“Why are you circling me? Were you a vulture in another life?”

“I like that tongue.”

“And I’m Boscan. I can do great things with it.”

“Show me.” His voice had dropped and became husky. Despite the command, he was surprised when she pulled him down into the kiss.

With any other lover, there was an instinct to push his venom into their kisses and he couldn’t stop himself. There was a time where he’d been celibate because he was tired of leaving behind bodies. Then, he learned that he could create antidotes to his toxins. Before he could do that, her mouth tasted like cinnamon as her healing magic responded.

She backed them against wall. When one of her guards coughed, Erik flipped him off, but it was enough to break the spell. She nipped his lips as she separated from him.

“I don’t do romance. And Lucy, the person who’d probably explain all of this to me is still in the hospital.”

“I don’t need romance. But I’m out of class for the day so what I could use is an escape,” she whispered.

He glanced over her head at the two guards. “I can help with that.” His hand moved to her hip. “When I squeeze, prepare to run.”

With his other hand, he tilted her head and kissed her. Kissing her was almost too distracting, but he squeezed her waist when he heard a crowd of students to use as a distraction.

Using his magic, he was able to listen for her guards. Just off campus, they caught a trolley and laughingly waved at one of the guards as they passed.

“That was amazing,” Novalie said, breathless with laughter and exertion.

“I try. Where do you wanna go?”

“I’m hungry. I think something sweet.” She moved so that her legs were hooked between his and her face buried in the crook of his shoulder.

“What?”

“Don’t want anyone to see us. To recognize me.”

“Why?”

“It’ll upset Kuri.”

He heard bits of the abuse she’d suffered from her sister. All of it being because Farron had been her induction partner. At Lucy’s birthday, he’d been warned about Kurino’s obsession with Farron. Since he could hear souls and anticipate moves, he’d been part of the distraction committee.

“You could come back with me.”

She gave his neck an almost chaste kiss. “Tempting. After food.”

“Your magic is impressive. Healing yourself, I mean,” he said, trying not to think about her breath on his neck or the fact that the brushing of her lips on his skin was sending his blood south and these pants weren’t forgiving.

“It’s selfish. I can’t heal others. Just myself.”

“Nothing wrong with that.”

“Yeah. Maybe.”

She shifted again, her calf brushing against his erection. He resisted the urge to groan but felt her smirk against his skin.

“There’s a bathhouse not far from here.”

He nipped her ear. “My apartment’s closer. But I don’t think I have the strength to stop myself from claiming you immediately.”

She shifted so that she could look up at him. He could hear her speculation as her red eyes studied him. “Chondassa is in two days. I’d rather know what I was getting into than accidentally mate during.”

“We could be apart.”

“The magic is painful for lovers to be separated for Chondassa. I don’t know what it would be like for acknowledged mates.”

“My place then.”

She sent a quick text to her father. When they got off the trolley, she glanced at his hand holding onto hers.

.~*~.

Kurino was pissed. The deaths of the Oracion Seis hadn’t bothered her all that much. Now, she knew what happened to Cobra.

First, Novalie got Farron and now, she gets a dragon slayer mate. She texted their father to say that she’d be around after Chondassa. That she’d be celebrating with the Pradeshes. And her father, in all his wisdom, gave his blessing with no follow-up.

The whole city felt Lucy’s awakening magic. Even Hisui’s spirits had recognized her awakening in Fiore. The guilds that the dragon slayers worked with revealed that the mages were preparing to leave. Were antsy in their skins. The only thing stopping them were the preparations for Chondassa.

“Have you spoken to Nuryev?” Hisui asked. She was working on a project and only occasionally glancing at the lacrima projection. “He just got his throne from his mother. Not sure he’d be willing to give it up.”

“While that’s true, Arman has been integral in settling conflicts within Seven’s tir-na-nog.”

“What has Grandice and Ivan said?”

“They have made plans to use the distraction created by Chondassa.”

Hisui’s hand movements stilled as she looked up. “That could cause some problems. It borders on sacrilegious if anyone finds out. What are their plans for the reveal?”

“That is. The entire county will be linked by the magic. Many of the other royal houses want real power also. What better time than on the holiday of that power being taken from us?”

Hisui smiled. “They’ll have to die. Our fathers, I mean.”

“With pleasure,” Kurino said, her grin almost feral. “And I look forward to killing the queen, as well.”

“Best you than me. And until she reforms her crown, she isn’t queen. This needs to happen before she does.”

“The two halves are keys, right?”

“From what I understand, yes.”

“Good,” Kurino muttered. “I’ll check with the Acadame to see if anyone has found either key.”

Hisui smiled and turned off her projection.

Kurino was giddy. It was coming close to a time that she’d be able to force Farron into her bed.

.~*~.

“Is that tea? In a bar?” Vander asked. They were in the same bar they'd run into each other in.

He’d been surprised that Nesryn reached out to him. Not that he was in the mood to take down a dark guild, but he was hopeful that this meant that she wasn’t going to try on her own.

“I- Do you remember that offer to talk to your brother?”

“Yes.”

She sucked in her bottom lip. “I'm losing time."

“How much?”

“A day. And a few hours. I don't know where I was during the mob.”

“Do they- Does Grandice think it was your fault?”

“I don't know, but it's been whispered.”

“Kaleb is in White Sea preparing for Chondassa. You can meet us there or wait until after.”

“I’ll try to meet you there. I’m not sure what Zillah wants to do for Chondassa.”

Vander smiled. It had been awhile since he’d last seen his friend’s little sister. That was largely deliberate since Nesryn didn’t trust him around her. The younger woman was as terrifying in her magic as the elder Blackwell, but softer around the edges.

“I wouldn’t mind seeing Zillah. Isn’t she planning on joining White Sea?”

“One, stay away. And two, if anything happens to me, make sure that Kaleb gets her first. I don’t want Grandice getting his claws into her.”

“I understand.”

Zillah wouldn’t last as a Blood Hound. She’d likely kill herself before harming someone else. It was probably that knowledge that stopped Grandice.

To prove a point, Nesryn had invited Zillah to a training session in preparation for a mission. The younger woman could nullify magic and had a practical joker side that had her randomly nullifying their magic. She could also create magic-free zones that they had to memorize the locations of.

Nesryn stood from her stool.

“Would you like to share pleasure? Or I could call Rowan and see if he has an opening.”

“I don't think that's a good idea. I can't control my magic. I can feel it skittering across my skin.”

“A session with Rowan-"

“Could make things worse. Remember what happened last time?”

Vander shuddered. The first time they'd teamed up, she'd fed on so much chaos that just a casual touch had the two of them tearing each other's clothes off despite there still being guards present.  

Sometimes, he wondered if she was who he’d have become if his father hadn’t found him. Scared and broken. Holding on to protect one person from not becoming him. As much as his father tried to intercede on her behalf, there wasn’t much he could do since her father was highly influential as well.

“I should go. I’ll talk to you later.”

.~*~.

“Have ye thought about askin’ which ritual he’s goin’ tae?” Rhiannon asked Marinette as her roommate measured her to make a one-of-a-kind dress for the Chondassa ritual in White Sea.

“Yes. He’s going to be at the one held by MBT here in Pelerno.”

MBT always held a large ritual for all mages, regardless of if they were Aos Sí or Sídhe.

“Ye should go. ‘Tis a masquerade.”

“Exactly. He doesn’t know what I look like.”

A piece of scrap fabric in Marinette’s bag of miscellaneous caught her eye and she pulled it out. “This could work,” Rhiannon said, holding up the red fabric.

“Seems a bit on the nose,” the other woman said as she took it and rubbed the satin between her fingers. It had black polka dots and was the remainder of an accent sash on another dress.

“Seems a bit like somethin’ outta a version o’ Cinderella.”

They looked at each other and at the same time said, “I like it.”


	18. Chondassa

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll admit that I didn't edit it this nearly as much as I should have.
> 
> The song the Emzadi sings is "Power" by Little Mix

Lucy laughed as she was spun around by Kaleb. It reminded her of dance lessons as a child when he wouldn’t listen to the instructor after volunteering. As an adult, she knew it was because he could hear her disinterest in the waltz. Still it felt like it had back then.

_Doesn’t to me. I like the feeling of you being pressed against me._

Heat flushed through her system as she considered what he’d said. As well as the memory of what he felt like underneath her. What his skin felt like beneath her fingers.

_Careful. Not sure there’s a privacy booth open._

She was much more tempted than she normally would have been. Someone was keeping her tipsy at all times. Not having Natsu or Emzadi around had her bonds stretched uncomfortably.

Natsu had taken Gray and Happy to Alvarez to meet his father and brother. Along with, in his words, a ridiculous amount of clothes and toys for August and Larcade from her and Emery. Emzadi and her new mate were in a cabin away from civilization. Their combined magics and Chondassa had prompted Arman to insist that their mating take place far away.

 

_Lucy had dragged Emery, Emzadi, and Cristoff to a karaoke bar. Only Emery had an inkling of why she’d insisted on going there after getting out of the hospital. Even though it took ridiculous amounts of alcohol to get Emery to sing, she was hoping Cristoff could persuade her._

_“Why are we here of all places?” Emzadi yelled as they waited for their drinks._

_“‘Cause this was where I saw him,” Lucy said, looking around. “I’ll take them,” she said when Emzadi’s name was called by the DJ._

_They were sitting in the booth. The two other women had conspired to make sure that Emery was seated next to Cristoff._

_“Baby, you're the man, but I got the- I got the- I got the power. You make rain, but I'll make it- I'll make it- I'll make it shower. You should know, I'm the one who's in control. I’ll-”_

_Emzadi suddenly stopped as her eyes locked onto a tall man. He was muscular enough to rival Cristoff or Kaleb. Maybe more so. His mint green hair was held back by a headband and a low ponytail._

_She dropped the microphone, walked over to him, and pulled him into a kiss. A few words spoken before a small smirk appeared on his face and they left without another look at their table._

_“At least we didn’t have to hear him sing. He’s awful.”_

 

She’d always hated when Natsu went to Alvarez. Now that he was officially mated, their bond was muted so it didn’t feel like she was missing a limb like it usually did. In a weird way, she was already missing it.

 

_“You’re my soulmate,” Lucy said to Natsu. They were fifteen and laying on the bank of a lake that bordered the Heartfilia Estate._

_“I thought Heartfilias couldn’t be with dragons.”_

_“I don’t mean it that way, Stupid. I mean, a best friend forever kind of soulmate. Platonic.”_

_“Oh. It’ll always be the two of us.”_

_“Promise?”_

_“Well, until I have an awesome, sexy, powerful mate. And you find someone weird enough to marry you.”_

_“Watch it,” Lucy growled but there was a hint of a smile on her face._

Watching Farron and Rhiannon amused the crap out of pretty much all of them. Rhiannon had no filter leading to the two of them blushing. The red was significantly more noticeable on Rhiannon’s fair skin.

At some point, Rhiannon had said fuck it and pulled him into the first open privacy booth. They were going on almost two hours. If they didn’t accidentally mate tonight, Lucy was going to be sincerely surprised.

 

Lucy jumped when Leo appeared next to her with a stack of papers. She stepped away from the crowd and let Gaza, one of Kaleb’s teammates, drag him onto the dancefloor. “What’s that?” she asked.

“The translations that you asked for.”

She’d forgotten that she’d summoned Leo after leaving Farron’s office and asking him to wait for the print-out. Then again, that had been the day Kaleb was shot and she spent three days in a coma recovering from magic depletion.

“What did Grandpa Crux say?”

“You were right. It was Celestial and beyond anything that a human could’ve written.”

“That makes no sense, but that’s a mystery for another day. Thank you.”

“Have fun,” he said with a wink. She stared at the spirit’s neat handwriting before dropping into her requip space for later.

Her eyes caught Zen’s gaze and she walked over to him. They hadn’t spoken since she’d woken up from the coma and found out about the mating with Kaleb. He’d always known that he’d mate, eventually. Despite the nature of Lucy’s relationship with Kaleb, she’d agreed with him that he should step back. 

“I’m surprised Hestor isn’t here.”

“He never participates. Usually hides at the Acadame. The only one was just after I’d been brought home. He propositioned Kaleb.”

That would surprise her, but she knew the other celestial mage preferred men to women. And besides, Kaleb could tempt a straight man.

“Who do you hope you end up with tonight?” he asked.

“I wish that I didn’t have to choose.”

_“You two are mated,” Zen stated._

_She grimaced, hearing the pain in his voice. Both men had been giving her the time to learn for herself what her heart wanted. Sex with Kaleb was amazing, but not something that could safely happen with Zen. Even still, she hadn’t slept with Kaleb except under a lust potion._

_“Not quite, but very nearly. It still needs to be consummated.”_

Zen chuckled darkly. “Not sure this counts as choosing.”

“No. It’s really not.”

.~*~.

Farron had the goal of kissing each and every freckle. The splash of them on her face was adorable. Connecting the ones on her chest with his finger as she rode him was sexier than anything he could have imagined.

The barbell was in. That disappointed him because it affected her accent. However, the feel of it on his erection had him conflicted. When he commented on how good it felt, a memory flitted through her of a woman going down of her and how amazing that barbell had felt. That had him tempted to pierce his tongue just to see how loud he could make her scream.

She whimpered when he nipped a birthmark on her hip.

“We should get back,” she groaned.

“Busy.”

Her canines were aching. The last thing she wanted was to claim him in a privacy booth. For one thing, she was fairly certain his wings would do some damage.

“I have a studio upstairs,” he said, once he understood where her concerns were coming from.

“Are ye sure ye want tae do this now?”

“Do you think you can stop yourself during Chondassa?” He kissed her. “Gods. If you think I’m letting you go- Today. Tomorrow. Doesn’t matter.”

“Today.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. Now get dressed. Only I get tae see ye naked right now.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” he teased.

.~*~.

Novalie had her hands on her hips as she glared at Erik. He was frustrated and it was weird, feeling him through their mating bond. As princess, she had notoriety. Having people come up to him all afternoon was driving him nuts.

Then there was the party itself. He could feel her. Could feel that she was equal parts wallflower and social butterfly. Used to always being in the shadow of Kurino, she wanted to dance and drink without the expectations placed on her. No one there would care if the youngest princess drank too much and danced with her mate before pulling him into a privacy booth.

This is what led them to the staring contest.

_Lucy says dance with her damn it._

Erik choked when he heard Kaleb’s voice in his head. It wasn’t hard to find the tall man and he made it easier to find Lucy. She was glaring at him and he could feel faint animosity through her bond.

Novalie followed his gaze, caught Lucy’s eye, and winked. She then crawled to straddle Erik’s lap and kissed him. It was a long teasing kiss accompanied by her hand cupping him over her pants.

“I want to dance,” she said softly, knowing that her voice, over anyone else’s, would come out the clearest to him.

“Fine.”

.~*~.

Vander had commandeered the microphone on the stage. Not that anyone had stopped him.

Cristoff kept trying to coax Emery into singing with him, but glared when Vander had tried sweeping her onto the stage. The closest he’d gotten was getting her to sing with him when he was off the stage.

The song, ‘What Ifs’ by Kane Brown, was amazing. Kaleb watched Lucy silently sing along as she watched her cousin. He realized it was rather appropriate for both him and Cristoff.

Emery wanted to be a Heartfilia again. Enough so that she was pretending that Cristoff didn’t cause a small, love-struck smile on her face between her lines. Something Lucy knew had only happened a few times. More than that, she still had an immunity to a dragon’s mating. No one was certain why Emery’s great-grandfather never found a mate.

On the other hand, Lucy was all smiles to hide her pain. It made her sensitive enough that she immediately reacted to him trying to investigate. She was upset about the half-settled mating. Upset that the choice had been removed from both of them. She’d been falling for Kaleb, the man, and now questioned whether he was capable of fully falling for Lucy, the woman. And he knew there’d be a question of the validity of anything that he tried to say so he hadn’t. Instead, he spun her around, not caring about the speculative whispers.

 _She’s here,_ Vander said.

Kaleb watched as Vander tugged the woman on stage. From the casual perusal, he could see the gaps but not what was causing them. Just enough to know that she was genuinely frightened. Even though she knew she was there to have him search her subconscious, she stuttered as she sang with Vander. They’d made arrangements for a deeper dive after cleanup was completed.

The more upbeat songs they performed made it easy to pull Lucy onto the dance floor. She moved from him to her dragons and to her girls. It didn’t take his magic to know that Levy and Xally were concerned as well. 

The horn signifying the beginning of the firework show blared. There was a private viewing deck for the guildmaster and his family and their significant others.

“Where’s Farron?” Arman asked then chuckled when a half-dozen hands pointed up.

Lucy smiled as she watched the sky light up in brilliant colors. She leaned against Kaleb and didn’t comment when he tugged her against himself.

“Because nothing says unification like blowing shit up,” Vander commented. There were a few chuckles, but mostly he was ignored.

Music was playing in the courtyard. Vander, Nesryn, and Cristoff were all singing along.

“Here,” Kaleb said.

He was holding a box of small, glowing crystals. They were called Wish Stones. In the courtyard, Lucy noticed parents ushering their children home. Wishes, hopes, desires would all be stored in the stones. Then, at midnight, mages would all force enough magic into the stones to break them. It was the energy of millions of wishes that caused the mages to become magic-drunk. In that one moment, they were all connected. It was why people found themselves drawn to soulmates. Others, like Vander, would just seek pleasure.

Vander was grateful that Nesryn was there. He generally had a rule against repeat performances with anyone. However, the chaos mage would drop him the moment it seemed as if either of them were catching feelings. It was always a bit safer to end up in bed with her than someone that might try to keep him.

The last firework went off and Lucy channeled her magic into the crystal. The crystal became glittering pieces that blew into the air and joined the thousands of others before forming rivers of gold.

“It’s so pretty,” Lucy murmured.

Then she felt the magic surge in her and overtake her senses.

.~*~.

Lucy woke up snuggled between two bodies. She didn’t immediately move as faint memories filtered in. Memories of two sets of hands. Two mouths. Of moving between two men.

The warm, safe feeling quickly evaporated when her hand brushed against raised markings over her heart, felt the whoosh of her magic reacting to the touch, and she jerked away from the two naked men.

“Lucy?” Kaleb said.

“No. No. This- This wasn’t supposed to happen.”

His lavender eyes glanced down to look at the marking. One wing was silver while the other was black.

“Lucy-”

Reacting to her panic, Leo summoned himself. He glanced between Lucy and the two archangels.

“Oh. Um, is Emery in the building?”

“Yes,” Kaleb answered when Lucy refused to emerge from the space in her mind. A place he’d noticed more and more lately. One he recognized from Hestor.

“I’ll be right back.”

Leo disappeared for a moment then returned with Andromeda. The woman took in the scene quickly.

“Of course, this is how they’d deal with the situation. With the least amount of effort on their part,” she muttered darkly.

“What are you talking about?”

“The Moerai. The Fates. The Evil Bitches from Hell. Whichever you prefer.” Andromeda sighed. “Mother got in trouble for interfering with the One the first time there were archangels. This time, she used a loophole.”

“Me?” Kaleb questioned.

“Yes. You’d have likely moved on. Found another celestial mage. But we knew that Lucy was destined to become the Star Maiden, so Mother interfered.” She gave Zen, who was gently trying to rouse Lucy, a sad look. “The Fates keep more secrets than celestial mages. But they knew what Mother didn’t.”

Kaleb didn’t need to hear her thoughts to know what she wasn’t saying. The Fates had meant for Zen and Lucy to get together. The least amount of work on their part was to give Lucy both of them.

“Undo it,” Lucy muttered quietly. “Now. Undo it.”

“You and I both know that isn’t possible.”

Lucy stood, her fists clenched at her side. “I don’t give a shit. Undo it.”

“The mark is already there. I cannot. I’m sorry.” Andromeda gave her a sad look before returning to the celestial realm.

She shrugged both of them off before grabbing a robe that had been left out and walking away.

.~*~.

Emery felt the faint tug of Andromeda summoning herself. When there was nothing but the heartbeat of the man she was pressed against, she ignored it. A few minutes later, Andromeda started tugging hard. It was her keys’ signal that they needed to be taken from the requip space.

Griping at being woken, though taking a moment to enjoy the view, she summoned the key.

 _Lucy mated Kaleb and Zen!_ Andromeda was saying on repeat.

“Shit!”

“What?” Cristoff said groggily.

“Lucy mated Kaleb and Zen. Knowing her, she’s in the midst of a meltdown. And I’m taking your shirt since I can’t find mine.”

Most people were still asleep in random heaps throughout the guild. It made it easy to find Lucy curled up on the bench of the gazebo in the garden.

“Hey.”

“My wish was that I didn’t have to choose. That I’d have more time. That I could know my heart and theirs.”

“They love you.”

“Do they? Or was it always just magic?”

“Do you remember what Mom used to say about the One? The One we’d tell all our secrets to?”

“Yes?” Lucy turned to give her a confused look.

“Which of them do you want to tell all your secrets to? Even the ones that Natsu doesn’t know.”

“Both of them? Maybe? I can’t tell with the mating.”

“Give it time. Archangels border on immortality so you’ve got it.”

Lucy giggled then narrowed her eyes. “Isn’t that Cris’s shirt?”

“Um…”

Emery tried to run off, but Lucy followed. It was the lightest she’d felt in days. Through the still new links, she felt Zen and Kaleb’s presence. They were warm and affectionate, and she tried pushing that same feeling black, like she would have if it had been her dragon.

 _I still need time to process._ She knew he’d linked Zen in too.

_Take it. We’re not going anywhere._

.~*~.

_“You want her mated to two archangels and become ridiculously powerful?” Eris said. Her fingers threaded through Acnologia’s hair and he made a sound like a cross between a purr and growl._

_“I want her distracted. Without her crown, she doesn’t have the power to maintain both mating. They’ll crumble under the strain. Hopefully, kill her in process.”_

_“Toss a golden apple into the Chondassa mix… There’s no way that she’d be able to resist.”_

_“I want you to be as close to her and the angels as possible. I’ll be helping-” he grimaced- “Ivan and his idiots.”_

_Eris smirked and sauntered over to her closet, not caring about her state of undress. “Luckily, Nesryn has an invite.”_

.~*~.

Eris smirked at Vander as she watched him sleep. Gods, she’d forgotten how good a shadowquip tasted. She could taste the havati venom in his blood. It had been a fluke the last time she’d found a shadowquip. And the voidshades.

It was even better because the sex was consensual. He didn’t love Nesryn, but they were close. Close enough that she’d been able to sweep in as the magic haze set in. Close enough that he hadn’t reacted to her mark.

The mark was a small dagger with a ‘K’ in the circular pommel over his heart. No one would notice it unless specifically looking for it.

“This has been fun,” she whispered before kissing him. The mindbender was too strong to let Nesryn remain anywhere near him. “I’ll see you again very soon.”


	19. Day After

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter but I said what I needed to say.

Ivan remembered the first time he’d met Jose Porla. The man still disgusted him, but there wasn’t much that could be done about that now. They needed each other.

The blue-haired woman stared blankly at the wall. That was what she usually did when Jose’s shade wasn’t animating her to be Lucy’s work friend. Not that Lucy came by the office. Most of her work as done from home.

Fifteen years earlier, Ivan had first learned of Acnologia. The custody battles in Fiore weren’t going his way. Judges within tir-na-nog had ruled in his father’s favor. When he’d tried in Milesian courts, ERA had enchanted the judge to follow the same ruling. The lightning scar, proof of his attempts to push Laxus’s power, was deemed child abuse.

Still, he’d learned of another dragon slayer. One that might be the most powerful ever. First, he’d kidnapped a historian that was researching the first dragon slayers. It would take a few years, but she’d find the tomb where he was encased.

The celestial magic used was beyond anything that anyone short of an Étoile/Heartfilia. Even the Xings wouldn’t have been able to do it. That was how he’d come to hunt down Jose after hearing rumors that he would have a way to translate the seemingly untranslatable.

He’d been hired by the Steel Council to encrypt their files because he had a mage that could write Celestial in a way that not even scholars from the Acadame could’ve read it. Thinking that the mage would be able to translate the rune-work around Acnologia’s tomb, Ivan reached out through Grandice.

Ivan liked Grandice. In the intervening years, the two men created a plan for bringing tir-na-nog out of the shadows. To rule like mages were meant to. It didn’t surprise him that they were able to get so many of the royals on board. Sydelle, Kurino, and Hisui all wanted the power that they believed was due them.

“How long do you intend on keeping her like that?” Ivan asked, snapping his fingers in front of the woman’s face.

“Indefinitely, probably. Awakening Heartfilia affected her as well,” Jose said, annoyed to have the water mage almost comatose. “Where’s Acnologia?”

“Probably with that bitch of his.”

Eris’s presence rankled him. After Acnologia had recuperated, all he’d wanted was to know what had happened to his daughter. Knowing that he’d need a mate, Acnologia had conceived his own with a follower. When Anna sealed him, the woman had suppressed the consciousness of Eris underneath a second personality.

It had taken more work than he liked to find this out. Much less track the bloodlines. Ultimately, it was Grandice that figured it out. Even though he really wanted Zillah, the realization that Nesryn possessed Eris’s consciousness meant keeping her happy more important.

Nesryn herself was proof that Lucy was coming into the full potential of the Star Maiden. She was the first in generations to tap into Eris’s magic. That coincided with Layla Heartfilia’s death and the bonds of his son and two others transitioning to her.

“During Chondassa, nearly every mage in the country will be too distracted. I know Acnologia has plans to send Eris to White Sea.”

“Which is good. We didn’t even try to send the corrupted Wish Stones to White Sea. There was no way to ensure that Kaleb wouldn’t get one and no way that he wouldn’t have notice. Heartfilia as well,” Grandice said.

There were only a few places in Ishgar that mined epithymiat, the crystal that Wish Stones were made from. It didn’t take much to bribe the people that carved them to add a potion into the mixture that the stones were soaked in.

Most of the royal houses around Ishgar weren’t keen on the Étoile throne being resurrected. They’d all been built on the promise that a rightful heir would return. That had been the gamble that they’d taken. Many of them owed favors to Arman or Farron so they’d be taking a risk to go against them.

The belief in magic was primeval. It lingered in the subconscious mind like a genetic memory from centuries past. As constant as the childhood fear of the dark.

Of course, only fear would be able to draw it out. The last Blackwell to tap into Eris was a prime example of that. Her self-loathing acted as a trigger for entity. Opened her up gratefully for the illusion of confidence that Eris granted her.

The last memories Milesians had of magic was of the war. Was of the dragon slayers tearing through villages and Ares laughter. Then…nothing. Alanna Étoile’s agreement with Hestia, the creation of tir-na-nog, had wiped the existence from their minds. All that lingered was primeval. The whispers from times when mages couldn’t keep their secrets.

The morning after Chondassa, the internet exploded. People talking about dreams. About memories that weren’t theirs but were definitely memories. People talking about pictures and videos of magic that disappeared. Sometimes before they even had a chance to post them online.

Grandice smiled as he stared at the onslaught. Knowledge that Farron and Ivan’s dragon slayer hacker were mating meant that they were too busy to stymie it.

“Well?” Ivan said. He was a little put out to lose the hacker. Especially the fact that she’d managed to hide that she wasn’t just an archive mage. Though, that was currently working in their favor better than either could have planned.

“It’s working. Get the Baram Alliance into position. Most mages will still be recovering from Chondassa. We’ll give them the rest of the day.”

Ivan smiled. “Good.”

.~*~.

Rhiannon was slowly wiggling her way up Farron.

“Hi,” he said when she nipped his pec bear her mark, her fingers dancing along the eagle.

“Mornin’.” She kissed his lips lightly before looking in his eyes. “I love ‘at color.”

“Yours aren’t too far off.”

“Hi. Sorry to interrupt-”

Rhiannon jerked up, ready to tear into the man daring to look at her naked mate. Before she could attack, Farron grabbed ahold of her.

“It’s Vander. My brother,” he reminded her. “Who has awful timing.”

“Yeah. Sorry,” Vander acknowledged with his hands up. “But seriously, get some clothes on and meet us in the conference room by Kaleb’s office.”

He disappeared again.

“How did he do ‘at?”

“He can travel through shadows and the voids. C’mon. If Lucy let him come up here knowing that we were in the midst of mating, it has to be important.”

She gave him a pout that he kissed before moving to look for her clothes. The studio apartment was nice but didn’t have much personality. It was meant for guests to the guild. There was a bookshelf with a few fiction but mostly reference texts. As she grabbed her tights, she noticed one on statistical anomalies.

“Takin’ ‘is one,” she said, pulling it down.

“Sure.” He walked over, kissed her neck, and passed her the dress she’d worn.

“Can I steal a shirt?”

“Yeah.”

He knew that the mating made it difficult to keep their hands off one another but watching her in his shirt was particularly distracting.

The room was packed. All of the Pradeshes that had been present for the ceremony- with the exception of Xally- were there. She and Laxus had returned to Pelerno a few hours earlier for her shift at the hospital. In fact, it was them that alerted Kaleb to the problem. The remaining dragon slayers and mates were there too.

“Make ‘is quick,” Rhiannon said when they arrived in the room.

“Sorry,” Lucy said, understandingly. “Something happened last night. Besides this.” She gestured to the mating mark.

Farron’s eyes widened as he realized that the two opposite wings were of the morning star and the evening star. “Both?” he murmured before glancing at Rhiannon. She was staring down her own shirt, looking for a similar mark on her chest, before looking up with worried eyes.

Her eyes darted to where a bit of the wing of her dragon was visible. She hadn’t meant for it to be on his pectoral, but he'd gotten her so worked up that it was where she'd bitten.

“Don't worry,” Emery said. “Cassi wasn't too thrilled about a dragon slayer calling dibs on an Archangel. I'll talk to Andy.”

“Thanks. But ‘is doesnae seem like the type o' emergency ‘at ye'd interrupt us for.”

“It's not. This is.”

Kaleb gestured to the laptop he was working on. He had it split screened. One side had Twitter open while the other was running had script running.

“Shit,” Rhiannon said before shoving from out of the way.

Her fingers flew across the keyboard as she ran different algorithms.

“‘Ow is this happenin'? This shoulda triggered a dozen different alerts.”

Her ramblings slipped into Caelish.

“Can you get rid of this?” Kaleb asked. He specialized in the hardware and software. He could hack well enough, had even gone up against Rhiannon, but this was very much Farron’s field. 

“Wi' yer entire team o’ hackers, aye. ‘At's not the problem.”

“What is? “

“The earliest post is over 12 hours old. Even if we removed all traces online, there's no removing from people's memories,” Farron said. “Even being rid of the metadata would be next to impossible.”

“These conflicts people talk about dreaming, they remind me of what Lucy said when she woke up,” Levy said as she skimmed through the various message boards.

“It's kinda like genetic memory,” Novalie mused.

“What's that?”

“It's a psychological theory that certain memories are passed down through generations. Like the instinctive recognition of apex predators as well as fear.”

“You think the memory of mages has always been present just…suppressed?” Lucy asked.

“Maybe. I mean, the stories of how tir-na-nog were created says that Hestia suppressed all memory of mages, but not remove them,” Novalie said.

“But why now?”

Half-dozen eyes turned to look at Lucy.

“Oh. The Star Maiden awakens…” she muttered. Automatically, Kaleb and Zen both moved to her side and she gave them thankful smiles.

“I'll see what I can do wi' this, but can we go?”

Emery laughed as Lucy waved her and Farron off. Novalie and Erik skipped out as well. The two newly mated couples went to the rooms prepared for them. Especially early on, mated couples were too possessive even for privacy rooms.

Novalie walked back in a few seconds later. “Uh…my sister has done a lot of research into genetic memory. Uh…she wants to prove the existence of soulmates.”

“Farron…”

“She's my sister but- She likes the old laws.”

Arman frowned while Lucy felt concern flash through the bond she had with Kaleb. Knowing that they understood what she was trying to say, Novalie nodded slightly and stepped out of the room.

“What are the old laws?” Emery asked.

“From before the unification. It was decided that some tir-na-nog laws would be too hard to cover up with the addition of a federal government. One of them being the ability for the royal family to command consorts,” Arman said.

“Let me make sure that I understand this: you made arranged marriages illegal, but said that royals could marry and demand that others be their consorts?” Lucy questioned.

“I know. But it’s been outlawed for fifty years.” Arman sighed. “Vander-”

“Yup. I’ll poke around. Maybe all of this tie into what Sorcha suspected about Grandice covering for Femorian groups.” Vander frowned when he said her name. He hadn’t been able to find her anywhere and she wasn’t answering his calls or texts.

“Ask for Presca’s help.”

“That sounds suspiciously like you think I need a babysitter.”

“And we leave tomorrow,” Emery interrupted, standing up. She and Cristoff were headed to Minstrel to follow up on a lead that she’d gleaned from her mother’s notes.

Lucy gave her a look that promised and interrogation later before turning to Levy. “You have access to the mage library at U of Pelerno and the guild.”

“Yup. I’m on research.”

“You’re too excited about that,” Gajeel said but with a faint, indulging smile.

The two left while bickering about the appropriate amount of excitement directed at research. That didn’t mean that Levy didn’t shoot both celestial mages a look demanding a girls’ night.

Vander disappeared with Bickslow, Emery, and Cristoff leaving as well. Arman moved to cuff the shoulders of his remaining sons.

“You’re newly mated. You should spend some time alone as well. The world’s not ending today,” he told them before leaving.

Lucy glanced up at the two men that were both giving her predatory looks. The arousal she’d been trying to stomp down kicked back in sevenfold. Worse, she knew that they’d gotten a hit of it in their, in her opinion, too strong bond.

“My apartment,” Kaleb said before kissing her. Then Zen turned her around and kissed her as well.

She whimpered when they were no longer touching. The part of her that knew she should be nervous considering how large they were. However, the elevator up to the guildmaster suite just excited her more. Especially when Zen lifted her up to wrap her legs around his waist and Kaleb moved in to kiss her neck.

 _You’ll remember every detail of this,_ Kaleb told her.

 

Most of the guild had been cleaned up and people were nursing the weird hangover a lot of them were feeling. One was a beautiful woman. She had the palest skin that he’d ever seen and wavy blue hair.

“What’s a beautiful woman doing drinking alone? Did you not- Sorry. Ignore me,” he rambled. With a closer look, there was something off that the cotton feeling in his head was keeping him from seeing.

“No. Juvia didn’t come with anyone special. A friend gave Juvia the invite. Juvia has a job here but she is from Fiore.”

“Have you been here long enough to know what asking for pleasure means?”

Her eyes were wide and her voice breathless as she said, “Yes.”

“My name is Bickslow.”

“Juvia.”

“Would you like to share pleasure?”

Her eyes glanced over him. Like many people in the guild, he was still only half clothed revealing lean muscles. “Yes.”

He kissed her before leading her to a privacy booth. There was something off about her aura, he realized, but still couldn’t place what.

It wasn’t until she left first that he recognized the ‘off’ feeling. It was the same that he had around Lucy or Emery’s celestial spirits. No soul but replaced by something else.   


	20. Progress

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey. Long A/N. (If this is your first time reading this story, ignore this.)  
> So, the character of Sorcha Blackwell belongs to an original fiction that I was working on with my writing partner and thought _it would be really interesting to see her interact with Vander._ Actually, I vaguely remember saying that the world would burn.  
> Anyways, I realized that my attachment to Sorcha in her original novel was hindering my ability to let the character develop in Chasing. So, Nesryn is Sorcha and Zillah is Aoife (her sister who hasn't been seen yet). I've gone back and changed it in the earlier chapters.

Rowan wasn't surprised to find Hestor in the sunroom after he walked his client out. The number of White Sea regulars did surprise him. Usually, after Chondassa, his regulars didn't require his services. The relaxed feeling after the ritual was probably the reason no one bothered to modify it despite some more conservative values. Whatever had triggered the genetic memory, which was a large part of why Kaleb and his family were staying in White Sea, had knocked a lot of mages out of sorts as well.

“Avoiding heading to the guild?” he asked, sitting in one of the other chairs.

The other man snorted which Rowan translated to a solid yes. There was no pretending that Hestor wasn't infatuated with their guild master. He'd seen the looks often enough. But he also knew that Hestor never pressed the issue. The most Rowan had gotten out of him was that his magic said Kaleb was supposed to be important to him.

“They're mated. Him, Lucy, _and_ Zen.”

“All three?”

“Yes. During Chondassa. It wasn’t exactly intentional, but there’s no denying that there’s love there.” He wasn’t a fan of being this harsh with him, but it was often the easiest way to get him to talk without stepping into his role as dom. Normally, he wouldn’t hesitate, except when he knew that part of the issue was his magic.

“Celestial mages thrive on stability. We’re affected by our magic to such an extreme. He was supposed to be my One, but before we even met, Cassiopeia interfered. Created a magical bond between them.”

Rowan was surprised that he said that much. That he’d revealed even that much. He knew from a few other clients that Celestial mages tended towards being secretive.

“Do you want to come up for a bit? Before heading over?”

Steel blue eyes met green ones before glancing up. “Yes.”

 

Hestor walked into the guild, feeling relaxed. Automatically, his gaze searched for Kaleb. He was sitting with Farron and a redhead.

“Rhiannon McKinnon. Dragon slayer. Mated to Farron,” Rowan said quietly.

“Another accidental mating?”

“No. Theirs was deliberate. Just warning you because dragons are territorial. Apparently, she tried taking off Vander’s head when he dropped in to give them a message and she forgot they were siblings.”

He nodded that he understood. Judging by a few furtive glances at the table, Hestor suspected that she’d put the fear of god into a few people there.

On the other hand, Lucy was sitting at a booth near the table where Kaleb and the couple were working. She, Zen, and Bickslow were playing a card game. With him mated, there was no reason for him to automatically feel protective, but it was still where he walked.

“Hello.”

Lucy looked over at him. Then she scrambled over Zen and tackled Hestor into a hug. His arms floundered as he squawked.

“Get her off!”

“I think your hands need to be in a different place if you want to do that,” Bickslow said, ignoring the unamused look that Zen gave him.

“Lucy, he doesn’t like to be touched,” Zen said.

“No. He needs all the hugs.” In his ear, she whispered, “I'm sorry.”

Surprising everyone, he wrapped an arm around her and buried his face into the crook of her neck. “You know?”

“Yes. Not sure how much he does though.”

“Don't-"

“I won't."

She dropped down and promptly crawled into Zen's lap.

“Hey,” Kaleb greeted.

Lucy watched as Hestor instinctively gravitated towards him before jerking away. She sighed, hating how the Fates handled the situation. The understanding was in Kaleb's expression. Even if he didn't appreciate fully what had been taken from Hestor, he knew that they had been destined.  

When Hestor decided that he wasn’t even in the mood to sit silently in the guildhall with a book and read while they played cards, Lucy followed him out to the guild gardens.

“Avoiding people doesn’t work when you follow.”

“Yeah. I know,” she said, not commenting when he started taking larger steps to outpace her.

“What’s it feel like?” he asked.

“Both complete but not. It wasn’t an action made from love. It’s like being spread too thin because-”

“Because our secrets.”

“Yeah. The magic clouding everything makes it hard for me to feel like their the One. Zen was supposed to be mine. But Stars- They made everything so damned complicated.”

Her back was turned to him. _“Kill her. Take Kaleb. She’s not crowned yet.”_

Kek-t was always the loudest because he’d had her key the longest. Still, he heard Ammit and Maat chastising her though there were a few other spirits agreeing with her.

“Take them,” he said, surprised with the words coming out of his mouth. There’d been other times that he’d wanted to rid himself of the keys. Of the temptations that whispered in his ears. He had other dark keys but those ones…

“What?”

“The Hall keys. They handle me. Not the other way around.”

She sighed, knowing what he meant. That was the thing people didn't understand about their magic. They strove for the approval and acceptance of their spirits as much as they're spirits strove for theirs.

She reached up and touched his cheek. “No. I refuse to believe that they'd make this contract with you if they didn't believe that you were strong enough. You are my Hawk.” Then, with a cheeky smile, she said, “Deal with it.”

“You sure you want me?”

“Hell no. You're a snarky asshole.” She smiled when that elicited a choked laugh. “But I think you're the right one for the role. Somehow, I suspect that most of the Hawks have been snarky assholes.”

.~*~.

It was two days before Levy found a lead. Most of that time was spent in White Sea trying to put out figurative fires. The Milesians were about ready to start a witch hunt. It didn't help that Fomorian guilds had mages all over Ishgar scrambling.

Igneel decided to keep Natsu and Gray in Alvarez a little longer. Ostensibly for family bonding, but he emailed Lucy to admit that the last thing he wanted was for Natsu to get caught up in the chaos. Lucy could've kissed the man for that. Even Zeref, in his political position, was dealing with a reaction.

According to the books that Dean Kalperden sent, the crown was made from two half-keys that were put together: Corona Australis and Corona Borealis. Lucy remembered watching Evelyn break the crown and giving the two keys to Galasfriel.

Lucy and Hestor had scoured those books hoping that there'd be clues that only a celestial mage would recognize, but it became abundantly clear that the writers hadn't been celestial mages themselves but rather members of the court.

“Levy sent a picture of a key suspected of being half of the crown,” Lucy said, running to where Hestor was sitting with Farron and Rhiannon. Once she was certain that Hestor wouldn’t try anything with Farron, Rhiannon and the prickly celestial mage actually got along fairly well.

“From where?”

“Auction records.” Lucy showed them the picture.

“I know this,” Rhiannon said. “I’ve seen it.”

“Where?”

“Somewhere unpleasant.” The dragon slayer sighed before turning to look at Farron. “Yer comin’ wi’ me.”

“If it’s that bad, we can get someone else to go. Vander, maybe.”

“Nae. Has tae be me.”

“Why?”

“Because my uncle owns it.”

 

Rhiannon was the epitome of not amused. Which, in itself, seemed to amuse Farron. He, on the other hand, was excited at the prospect of meeting her family. He didn’t let it show in his expression though since he could hear how much she didn’t want to go home.

“Ye do remember my folks kicked me out, right?” she asked when she met him at his townhouse with her overnight bag. That took out a little bit of the air in his sails.

“Yes, but this is where you grew up.”

“Not really. I grew up on th' streets o' Minstrel.”

“You're determined to ruin this, aren't you?”

She sighed and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Nae. I think ‘tis sweet how excited ye are, but I'm not.”

“We could take an airship and give you time to psyche yourself up.”

“I- We cannae. This is easier.”

“Fine. Where are we headed?”

“First, Dyfed. There's somethin’ ‘at I need tae take care o'.”

.~*~.

Lucy automatically reacted to three newcomers. The two dragon slayers were accompanied by a celestial mage. With the rarity of the magic, she glanced at Hestor who looked equally surprised. The presence of the two dragon mating marks on her shoulders were equally surprising.

“I’m gonna kill Skiadrum. He could’ve warned me,” she muttered.

“That’s a celestial mage,” Zen said. “Mated to two dragons?”

“Yes. Skiadrum Cheney and Weislogia Eucliffe were two of my mother’s dragons. I haven’t seen Sting and Rogue since they were babies. Explains why their bond feels so muted.” Lucy stood and started walking towards them. Surprising her, Hestor did the same.

“Are they mated to one another?” Hestor asked.

“No. Dragon slayers can’t mate one another. The closest is when draconia is a recessive gene like in Erza’s parents’ case. Three usually means two dragon slayers sought out a third _because_ they couldn’t mate one another.” She didn’t say anything else once they were within earshot of the two dragons.

“Sting, Rogue, it’s good to see you,” Lucy said, hugging the two dragon slayers. “I haven’t seen you since you were babies. And here you are. Mated.”

“Yup. This Yukino Agria. She’s a celestial mage,” Sting said.

“It’s nice to meet you. There’s not many-”

“I know,” she interrupted. “I'm the most powerful celestial mage in Fiore. Probably Ishgar. Except for my sister.”

Lucy and Hestor stared at the shorthaired mage. While Lucy gawked with a dumbfounded expression, Hestor laughed. It was his trademark sarcastic laugh but with a hint of disbelief.

Yukino’s two dragon slayer mates stood on either side of her. Rogue looked bored but Lucy could see how his eyes watched everything. On the hand, Sting was watching Yukino with a smug expression. Both turned to give Hestor an affronted look.

“I-” Lucy said with a finger up then lowered her hand. “I haven’t seen either of your fathers since you were toddlers but didn’t they tell you… _anything_?”

 “What Lucy is trying to say nicely is that you’re full of shit,” Hestor said.

“Hes,” Lucy said, her tone exasperated but not refuting the statement.

“There’s only a few-”

“Oh, so you think you can claim the most powerful because there aren’t many of us left. That makes sense,” Hestor said.

Lucy lightly smacked him and Zen, who she could feel wasn’t doing a good job at suppressing his amusement. 

“You’re celestial mages? That’s great. We’ve been talking about finding the two keys for the celestial crown. They’ve been lost for hundreds, but the wielder has the power to retake the throne. Maybe you can help.”

“Pretty sure you missed the part about being an heir to the throne. Much less powerful enough to summon the crown even if you had the keys. And I vaguely remember something about vaporizing.”

“I’m powerful enough to be mated to two dragon slayers,” Yukino said, a haughty expression on her face.

“Because they use you as an outlet for their co-dependency-”

“Oh? And you’re alone?”

“Better than being mated to two idiots that filled your head with air. Only an Étoile can become queen. Besides-”

“Hestor, enough,” Lucy said. “I’m Lucy Heartfilia, heir of the Étoiles. He’s my Hawk. And you’re not welcome to be the Dove. But as you’re mated to dragon slayers, I won’t stop your presence here. I’d recommend time at the Acadame. It could do you some good. Learn about your magic and it’s history.”

Lucy turned to walk away. Zen’s hand moved to the middle of her back as they returned to their table.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Zen said quietly, mindful of the two dragon slayers.

“I don’t know. But it was the necessary one.”

“The woman’s an idiot,” Hestor said.

“Behave or her dragons will tan your hide.”

“If they can find me,” he said before leaving.

“I can’t tell if that’s supposed to be him being subtle,” Lucy mused as she carefully curled up in his lap so she could watch Yukino at the bar with the dragons.

“He’s been having a rough time lately and won’t tell me what going on. If it helps-”

“I’m not knocking it. Just noting it.”

While Lucy had both men to herself at night, there was only so much that she could do at the guild. It had been Kaleb's decision to keep their mating a secret. Things were slowly starting to take a turn for the worst. Now, not only were they dealing with Fomorians, but there'd been a few scuffles with Milesians.

Grandeena had decided to keep Wendy in Fiore so it had been a bit of a surprise that the Twins had still come to Bosco.

Hestor was spending a lot of time with Rowan when he wasn't doing research with Lucy. And, as Vander put it, he didn't always come back in a good enough mood for orgasms to have been involved.

“I feel like we should be out there doing something.”

“Right now, until you are queen, the best place for you is to stay safe. Besides, I doubt the mating is stable enough yet for us to be in different cities.”

He kissed her lips when she pouted at him.

“I’m going to make sure he’s eaten.”

She grabbed food from one of his favorite restaurants and carried it up to him.

“How’d you know?” he asked when he saw the food box.

“Lucky guess.” She walked over and straddled his thighs, smacking his hand away when he reached for her. “What’s going on?”

“What?”

“This-” she gestured between them with her hands- “doesn’t work if you keep shutting me. Besides, how is anyone else supposed to have faith in me as queen if you don’t?”

“I do.”

“Prove it. What’s going on?”

He gestured for her to look at his computer. There was a report that he was in the middle of reading as well as an official report.

“Is this for real?”

“Yes.”

A Stellan temple was bombed. Not only were those inside killed, but so were a dozen bystanders.

“Does Hestor know?”

“Yes. His family said that his duty is here with you as your Hawk.”

“Damn it.” She took a deep breath. “There are more, aren’t there?”

“That’s the worse, but yes. Stella, unfortunately, is as close to being out in the open as tir-na-nog gets. Most Fomorians don’t know where the various guilds are.”

“Thank the stars for small favors,” Lucy muttered.

“I do think you'll be an amazing queen. But it's my role to protect you.”

“I know. But keep in mind that I don't really need you to.”

“Now then, as long as you're here.” He pulled her flush with his chest where she could feel his erection.

“I guess sitting on your lap and not helping you out would be rather mean,” she mused, turning her head so that he could see her cheeky smile.

“Yes, it would be,” he said, nipping her ear.

“That wouldn't be very queenly of me.” Her voice was becoming breathy as his hands moved up under her shirt.

“No, it wouldn't,” he said, knowing she wouldn't take it to heart. Knowing that she was enjoying the playing.

“If I'm to be queen, does that make you and Zen my kings?”

“That's an interesting question,” he mused, pressing open mouth kisses to her neck. She mewled quietly when his hands tweaked her nipples. “Let your king service his queen.”

“Yes.”

.~*~.

“I can't believe that you're on a different shift than me,” Lynn whined.

“I know.”

They were in the locker room of the hospital changing in and out of their scrubs. Xally had worked the second shift while Lynn was coming in for third. Since Chondassa, third shift was insane. That meant more nurses were being pulled to third shift.

Xally turned to look at her and bit back a gasp. On her friend's back were the familiar wings. The golden color stood out against her fair skin. But there was something different about hers. They were duller. Like a real tattoo. The detail was too like her brothers’ marks for them not to be archangel wings.

Her hair was changing faster than Farron’s had. It had taken a few years for it to go blond. It was getting a shade lighter, a shade redder, each day. So far, it seemed to be going a strawberry blonde versus outright ginger.  

“Uh, how have you been? With the dreams and everything?”

“I've been dreaming about flying,” she admitted. “Like, wind in my hair, the feel of wings on my back. It’s intense. I get why people are freaking out over these dreams.”

Xally smiled and kissed her cheek. “Have fun.”

“Is Cris still out?”

“For a while.”

“Oh yeah. It's a full moon."

Xally blinked as she watched Lynn leave. There was no way that Cristoff would've forgotten the full moon. Knowing that Farron was headed to Caelum with Rhiannon, she called Kaleb.

“My coworker, Lynn- I'm pretty sure she's an archangel.”

.~*~.

He couldn't believe he'd forgotten.

Stima was a mountain town. It was surprisingly large, considering the location. They'd spent most of the day going to each inn, hoping that someone would recognize his mother. Without knowing _when_ she’d been there, it didn’t surprise him that no one remembered her.

The last inn was on the outskirts of town. It seemed a bit rundown, but it was getting late enough in the afternoon that they needed to pick a place for the night.

Cristoff kept glancing at Emery. She didn’t comment about being tired though his magic could sense it. On the flight, she admitted to not entirely understanding his zeal to find Nurem.

_“She’s my mother,” he said as if that should be an obvious answer._

_Emery shrugged. “I rarely know where my mother is. Dad was a soldier. Died in a scuffle with Pergrande when I was ten. Then Jude found us. Mom now had the perfect place to dump me when she went off.”_

_“Do you know where she is now?”_

_“Here in Minstrel, I believe. Down in Capressa.”_

_“I’m sorry.”_

_She shrugged again with a light scoff. “It is what it is. It’s the only reason Hestor tolerates me. Mom doesn’t suffer fools. And he_ really _wants a specific book from her library. That I’m pretty sure she stole from Stella._

_“Besides, we wouldn’t have this clue in the search for your mother if mine was any different.”_

_He turned her face towards him and kissed her lightly. “Thank you.”_

Emery both loved and hated being around him. Her thoughts kept coming back to the kiss on the airship. It was chaste but still short-circuited her brain. That she often found herself trailing behind with one of the most perfect asses within touching distance wasn’t helping either.

A jealousy streak that she knew that she had no right to kept flaring up. Minstrel was similar to Bosco when it came to sex. Even without the Boscan shirt revealing his clan tattoos, the man oozed sex appeal. It drew attention, but didn't seem to phase him. If anything, he started pulling her closer. Like a shield or a sign saying, ‘I'm with her.’

“I do remember her,” the elderly man that owned the inn said. “We don't get a lot of business since most of the inns are closer to the town center. I remember that she also requested the room first from us. Not that customers don't prefer that-”

The man continued to ramble but Cristoff zoned out. It had been a month since the last full moon. He was usually so much better at keeping track. Generally, his draconic instincts did it for him.

“Can we get the same room?” he asked abruptly. “The one my mother was in.”

The old man shrugged and passed him a key. “Upstairs. Last door on the left.”

“What was that about?”

“There's a full moon tonight.”

“Shit.”

“I'm hoping Mom used runes or something to keep from turning the town into an orgy,” he said as he unlocked the room.

The room, like the rest of the inside, were well cared for. The owners obviously believed that making sure guests were comfortable was more important than the outside looking pretty.

“Okay. I'll call Lucy. She might have some ideas." She stepped into the hall, knowing what kind of commentary her cousin would likely have.

“I had money on at last three days before you called me panicking,” Lucy said when she answered.

“Hilarious. We have a problem. It's a full moon."

“And you want me to change the phases of the moon? Pretty sure not even Kaleb is that powerful.”

“Lunar dragon. Moon lust.”

“Oh… Yeah, that could get messy. Your presence is likely dampening it since it's dusk and just now occurring to you.”

“But I'm not a Heartfilia.”

“Pretty sure that it's not Heartfilia magic at play here. Doubt you'll need them, but I think I remember the runes for Mom's timeout room.  I'll sketch them and send them to you.”

“Thanks.” She hung up her phone then closed her eyes as she leaned against the wall.

_“You like him,” Lucy teased._

_“Of course, I do. He's a sweetheart.” Seeing Lucy's grin, she said, “I don't_ like _him, like him.”_

_“Face it like a grownup. When you gonna own up that you got, got, got it bad?” Lucy sang._

_“Really?”_

_“Try to keep it hidden. Honey, we can see right through you,” she continued with a teasing smile._

That short conversation was the first time Lucy hadn't sung something from the Disney song. Then, her phone chimed. It was the “I Won't Say I'm in Love" scene from Hercules.

When she returned to the room, it was filled with the mist that Cristoff created and faintly glowing runes appearing.

“Are those going to be strong enough?”

“Maybe? They were for her, but I don’t know if my pull is stronger than hers. Normally, I’d have started feeling the effects of the moon by now. What did Lucy say?”

“Her mom had a timeout room at the estate. She’s sending me the runes. The rest was riddles.”

“Why? What did she say?”

“That she thought that my presence was why no one had truly noticed. Which makes no sense since I’m not a Heartfilia. And then she says that she doesn’t think it’s because I’m a Heartfilia which is cryptic as fuck.” Despite her tone noticeably shifting into a rant, she saw a hint of comprehension on his face, but it disappears fast enough that she doesn’t comment.

When the text appeared, she used her light pen to write the additional runes. Some were meant to keep not only his magic, but him, in the room. It was, after all, meant to hold an irate dragon slayer.

Cristoff sat at the head of the bed and patted the space in front of him.

“Tell me something?”

“Like?”

“Anything. What keys do you have?”

“Uh… The Ptolemaic Royals, Aquila, Scutum, Delphinium, Canes Venatici, and Lepus. Mom keeps most of the more combative ones. I’m a kindergarten teacher, after all.”

“The Ptolemaic Royals are combative, aren’t they?”

“Yes, but they’re gifted. They generally belong to the second born. According to the old stories, they are meant to protect the heir. If Lucy’s little sister hadn’t been stillborn, they’d have belonged to her. Mom wasn’t thrilled that she’d chosen me to wield them. Hisui, even less.”

“Hisui? The Fiorian princess?”

Emery nodded. “She’s a celestial mage too. Didn’t really accept that I was Lucy’s cousin and the keys would’ve been my birthright.”

The two continued to talk about their magic. He asked about celestial mages and their promises. Since their magic was built on contracts, that tended to bleed into every day life. Their magic weighted agreements to decide how binding they were. Ultimately, it was agreements made that swore on their magic that were absolute. Not only for them, but for anyone else that was part of the promise.

As the night wore on, he started pacing back and forth. At one point, he’d tried to go out the door only for warding to force him back. She tried not to ogle when he’d shed his clothes and paced nude. The pheromones that he was pumping out didn’t affect her which seemed to create an almost blind spot in his lunar haze.

She wasn’t certain what propelled her forward, but next thing she knew, she was pulling him down to kiss. Now, it was her arousal that reminded him of her presence. It seemed to only take seconds for him to get her out of her clothes and kissing down her body. Even in the haze, he recognized that she wasn’t ready for him. After her first orgasm, he moved back up.

“Let me love you,” he said, feeling clearer than he’d ever felt during a full moon.

“This isn’t about love,” she said, pressing herself against him impatiently.

“With you, it’s always been about love.” Cristoff then slid into her.

 

She woke up to Cristoff tracing absentminded shapes on her skin with his finger. “What time is it?”

“Eight.”

“We should get up and get breakfast.”

“Okay.”

He didn’t pretend not to watch her rise and dress. “Did you mean it? Do you really think love has nothing to do with it?”

Emery froze as she pulled clothes out of her bag. No, she really didn’t. She knew herself well enough to know that man had her hook, line, and sinker.

“I’m not your mate.” Wearing only her underwear, she walked over to him. “And whomever they are, you’ll be amazing.” She lightly kissed him before returning to getting dressed.

They dressed in silence but before they could leave, Cristoff caught her hand.

“I want you to think about this for a while. Is being a Heartfilia more important than becoming a Pradesh?”

He let her go and she felt her heart thumping in her throat. Lucy had asked her the same question and neither time could she bring herself to answer.

.~*~.

Vander was surprised to find Nesryn in the potions shop. He’d never seen her look so disheveled. She wore baggy pants and a tank top with her hair in a low ponytail.

“You disappeared,” he said.

“I know. Kinda. I-”

“Here you go,” the potion-maker said.

“What is she getting?” Vander demanded.

“It’s a sedative. You’re getting emotional so knock it off,” Nesryn said. “Remember? No emotions, no sentimentality.”

“I’m still protective of my friends,” he snarled before taking a deep breath and realizing what had happened.

During this time, the potion-maker ducked in back. Both of them had been coming to him for various reasons over the years. He was, after all, Steel Council approved.

“You blacked out again?”

“Yeah. Chondassa is always a blur so I’m not sure what I actually missed. I just know that I woke up in my own bed.”

“You were with me most of the night, I think. A few other joined us, but I remember you staying close.”

“That’s something. I used to use this when my magic would get really out of control, but I haven’t needed it in years. But-” she took a deep breath- “I’m scared.”

“I’ll help. I told you: we’re friends. Maybe Presca can help. Drain your magic so that you’re at least not as lethal.”

“Yeah. Tell him to meet us at my place. I don’t want to be around Loreli.”

It wasn’t until they were outside that Vander started to dial Presca. Before he could finish dialing, Eris stopped him. Vander looked into the familiar eyes. Instead of seeing the usual playful wickedness, the gaze was cold.

“Sorry, my dear shadowquip. I need my magic and it’s not quite time for you just yet.”

She pressed a hand to where she knew that her mark was and kissed him. While he was dazed, she opened the requip space that she shared with Nesryn and pulled out a potion then tipped a drop onto her finger which she stuck into Vander’s mouth.

The potion would only make the last few minutes hazy and she decided to try it on herself, or rather Nesryn, as well.

.~*~.

Rowan brushed Hestor’s hair out of his face to wake him. He’d fallen asleep in the solarium while Rowan was at the guild with a client. There were only a few that he took in his private playroom and Hestor was the only one that had a key.

That was something both Farron _and_ Vander had commented on. Worse was that Vander knew that he kept special equipment just for Hestor. A few clients had special equipment that they brought with them, but Hestor was the only one that he kept on premises.

“How long have you been here?”

“A while. Client at the guild?”

“Yeah.” He paused for a moment before adding, “How long are you planning on avoiding them?”

The night before, Hestor had cuddled. That was always a sign he looked for with Hestor. A sign that he was wound tighter than he’d acknowledge.  

“I’m not.”

“You are.”

Hestor was as obvious as Beck in his pining if you knew what you were looking for. His looks were subtler but definitely there. The man worked in research and development, Kaleb’s side of MBT.

“You do remember that you practically work for him, right?”

Hestor hissed. So far, he’d been able to ignore that detail. With Kaleb preferring to direct things from White Sea while the Milesians were still up in arms concerning the not-reveal of magic, only a handful of departments were still working. Most of them working to protect mages throughout Ishgar.

Talks were already beginning an outright announcement. That would draw Kaleb back to Pelerno. Currently though, they were hoping to get the first half of the Corona key from Caelum first. Farron had a good rapport with many of the other tir-na-nog royals.

“I’m headed back to Pelerno. Kaleb has me leading a team to Midi first. And probably Caelum with Rhiannon,” Rowan said. He watched for a reaction from Hestor. It was subtle; a slight pursing of his lips and narrowing his eyes. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing.”

“Bullshit. I can go ask Kaleb. Or better yet, Lucy.”

“She won’t say anything.”

“So, it’s a magic thing. That’s why you’re so certain she’ll keep your secrets.”

Hestor sighed and clenched his fist next to him. “Cassiopeia meddled with the One.”

Rowan blinked. He’d heard of ‘The One.’ It was tied particularly to certain types of magics. Magics that affected the souls of their users and were meant to anchor them.

“Kaleb was supposed to be yours,” Rowan said.

Hestor didn’t answer but didn’t refute the statement.

“When you feel yourself slipping, come see me.”

Hestor’s eyes narrowed but there was also a hint of interest. “Is that an order?”

“It can be.”

“I usually go to the Acadame.”

“Okay. Call me on the way if that’s your choice.”

“Fine.”

Rowan sealed the agreement with a kiss that had Hestor purring. The agreement wasn’t magically binding, but Hestor would much rather spend the times that he hid at the Acadame hiding in the sunroom at Rowan’s Pelerno home.

.~*~.

It had taken the two dragon slayers trying to kill Hestor after he’d made a snide remark during a sparring match about Yukino’s ineptitude for Lucy to call Emzadi and request that she and her mate leave their almost two-week honeymoon in the mountains.

“You’re from Sabertooth in Fiore, right?” Lucy asked without preamble.

“Yes?” Orga said with a confused look.

She points at Sting, Rogue, and Yukino. “Deal with them before they get themselves killed.”

The last thing she wanted was to be put in the position to choose between Hestor or dragon slayers. As much as her grated her nerves, she’d choose Hestor. The man nodded and walked over to the booth that they’d claimed while Emzadi moved to join Lucy, Hestor, and Zen.

“So, what have I missed?”

They fill her in on Chondassa’s aftermath, the various matings, that Farron, Rhiannon, Cristoff, and Emery were currently away.

“Damn. Two weeks and everything goes to hell.”

“Not like you would’ve been much help here,” Hestor said.

“I think someone needs a hug.”

“No, I don’t, you damned Amazon with boobs of death.”

“My mate likes them.”

“It’s his job to like them. Hopefully, he has some pliers to get her head out of her ass.”

“Yukino?” Emzadi asked.

“Yeah. The dragons have convinced her that she’s crazy powerful because the both mated her. When really, they just wanted to bang each other.”

“He’s in a mood,” Emzadi said to Lucy quietly.

“Has been for a while.”

Lucy and Zen both jolted when they heard Kaleb’s summons. She gestured for Emzadi and Hestor to come as well but wasn’t surprised when Hestor didn’t.

“What’s wrong?” she asked when the door shut behind them.

“We need to head back to Pelerno. Someone revealed that the Endivoshes are mages. Novalie was attacked.”

“Is she-”

“She’s fine. Erik was with her. But-” he sighed- “there was a body count. Altiene needs to make a statement as soon as possible.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pretty sure it goes without saying, but that was "I Won't Say I'm in Love" from Hercules that Lucy sings.


	21. Caelum

It took a few jumps to reach Caelum. During one of those stops, Rhiannon said it was because the earth complained a lot and it was distracting. Made it hard to always know her bearings.

The garden they landed in had a large oak tree and neat rows of marked herbs. The door to the back of the building opened only moments after they arrived. The woman had black hair that was pulled back and grey eyes that bounced between Rhiannon and Farron.

“I wasn't expecting you,” she said in Caelish.

“I know. Where's Melisandre?” Rhiannon replied in Caelish.

“Running around as usual. She's supposed to be closing the shop tonight. I had a potion to work on for a client this morning. Who is he?”

The question was stated as almost an afterthought as they entered the building, but when Rhiannon answered, “My mate,” the other woman stopped.

They were in the kitchen of a house. Everything seemed ordinary except for the cauldron on the range and the open book and herbs on the counter next to it.

“You actually claimed him?”

“Well, I mean, look at him. Can you blame me for wanting to take a bite?” Both women laughed. Switching to Common, Rhiannon said, “Farron, this is Aderyn Balfour. Aderyn, this is Farron Pradesh."

“I've heard the name,” she said. Her accent was much thicker.

Caelum used their language as a shield from the rest of Ishgar. Since, up until a century ago, they'd been separate countries, they'd all held onto their individual cultures and languages. However, Common was taught throughout.

“I can speak Caelish as long as you go slow. It's been a while since I've needed it.”

“Fair enough.”

“Who's Melisandre?”

“Kind of my adopted daughter?” Rhiannon ignored the surprised choke sound that Farron made though Aderyn had an amused smile. “Or sister. Depends on the day. Mostly, she's kin.”

“What are you doing here?” Aderyn asked.

“I need something from Ciaran's collection.”

The amused look slipped from her face.

“Are you serious?”

“Yes.”

“And I'm assuming that you don't want your parents to know you're here?”

“Ideally.”

“You're going to owe me a favor.”

“I figured as much.”

“Go show him around while I think of something.”

“Thanks.” She glanced down at her outfit. “I’m going to change real fast.”

She back down in a teal dress that was probably still considered vaguely inappropriate. The square cut of her dress showed a hint of cleavage and two-layer handkerchief skirt was only mid-calf.

It only took a moment for him to realize they were in Dyfed, the capitol. Farron had been in Dyfed once before. That had been a work trip and he'd stayed in the offices.

The buildings had brick first floors and light-colored plaster with dark wood cross sections upper levels. Rhiannon told him that the architecture style was called Tudor and was one of her favorites.

The stones were multicolored cobblestone. Along the roads were gas lamps that had been modified for electricity. Caelish fashion tended towards conservatism with long dresses and mid-chest necklines. The feel of old made the cars stand out.

“I want a big family,” Farron said in Common, surprising her. “I don't mind adopting like Dad did."

She started at him in surprise before realizing what prompted it and laughed. “This is Melisandre.” She opened a picture on her phone. It was of her and a teenaged girl. The girl had long brown hair and brown eyes. Perched on her head was a grey squirrel.

“That's not what I was expecting,” he admitted.

“But, as far as bairns, I hadnae thought about it. Gettin’ my head around mates was difficult enough.”

“I understand. I just-"

“Ye were expectin’ someone younger.”

“How old is she?”

“Not sure. Her mum worked in a brothel in Minstrel.”

Farron frowned. Brothels were outlawed in Bosco because they didn't adhere to the same standards as a bathhouse. And there was no need for them with the bathhouses. Minstrellan legislature decided to allow brothels with their more lenient laws.

“She did drugs. The Fomorian guild I was wi' knew she was a mage an' took mage clients. They figured she survived the pregnancy so she must ‘ave mage durability. Her mum died from an overdose an' they took ‘er.”

“How old was she?”

“Five? The brothel had tae destroy the records since brothel attendants are supposed tae be on contraceptives. We dinnae know how old she was. She doesnae even know ‘er birthday.”

“How old is she now?”

Rhiannon shrugged. “Sixteen tae eighteen. She was underfed when we found ‘er.”

She stopped at a food stand. It was a fried ball of mashed potato with meat and vegetables in the middle. She laughed as he fumbled to keep from dropping the meat. Finishing hers, she took his hands and showed him how to hold the ball. Her fingers lingered on his hand before moving back.

He watched her talk about food, her favorite locations in the capital. Her steps were practically dancing as she sang Caelish songs. This was the hacker he'd been falling for. That unabashedly teased him. That teased him into going to parties with his siblings even as he realized that he wanted to be talking to her.

“You seem, I don't know, lighter here. I figured, with the way you treat coming home, you wouldn't be.”

“My folks ne'er come tae Dyfed, ‘ere's no reason tae be worried jus' yet. An' ‘ere’s somethin’ tae be said about comin’ home.”

“You still think of it as home?”

She nodded. “‘Til I lose ‘is accent, aye.” Then she walked closer to him and looked up into his eyes. “Or ‘til somewhere else becomes home.”

He tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. “Do you want to move in with me?”

“Nae. I ‘ave a roommate. An’ a garden ‘at I've worked incredibly hard on.”

“Are you being deliberately difficult?”

“Only a wee bit.”

He leaned down and kissed her teasing smile.

_Kaleb, can you ask Rowan to make the yard behind the townhouse into a garden for Rhiannon?_

_She shot you down, didn’t she?_ Vander teased.

_Shut up._

“We should get something for my siblings.”

“I dinnae think ‘ey’ll like our fashion but-” She trailed off, glancing at the various signs until one caught her eye and she dragged him behind her.

It was a jewelry store. Like most, it had glass displays showing off necklaces, earrings, rings, and more. Caelish jewelry was unique. Everything had their traditional knotted design. Watching her light up as she picked out pieces that she thought his sisters would like made him decide that he’d buy an engagement ring for her before they left.

“Yer brother had a lot o’ jewelry on the other day. Would ‘e like something from ‘ere?” she asked.

She’d already picked a gold necklace with a charm shaped like a sun with the center being a knot and little rays sparking off. Inlaid in the rays were an orange crystal or quartz. For Xally, she’d picked earrings shaped like waterdrops with the characteristic knots and a little sapphire at the tip.

“I think he wouldn’t mind another hairclip. He usually goes somewhere in particular for his jewelry.”

She moved to another display. “Hm… That one,” she said in Caelish, pointing out one with a simple knotted design. “And that one.”

Farron smiled. It was the triple goddess worshiped by the Caelish who were represented by the waning, waxing, and full moons. This one also had little stars that he knew she’d picked because of Emery.

“I like it. Good choice.”

They ended up picking out jewelry for the rest of his siblings as well. The pieces all had the traditional knotwork. For Lucy and Zen, Farron told Rhiannon that much of Kaleb’s jewelry was ceremonial and they would need to start accumulating more.

“You do too,” he said as he placed a necklace on her. It was a silver tree of life with small pieces of various types of quartz in the leaves and the knots along the rim.

“That’s not really newlywed jewelry,” the woman said. She’d been watching them interact. Even knowing that they were just shopping for his siblings made her envious. Particularly at the way he watched her when she wasn’t looking. “This style of knotwork is.”

“We’re not newlyweds.”

“Not yet,” Farron muttered, smiling when she gave him an arched look over her shoulder. “I prefer this one. It suits her.”

The woman looked at the small pile of jewelry that they’d already picked out. This sale was already going to be more than she’d made all week. “If you’re here for another day or two, I can tweak this to combine both elements.”

“We’re probably leaving from Cae tomorrow,” Rhiannon said, taking off the necklace.

“I might be able to have it done in that time, but otherwise, I could ship it.”

“Sold,” Farron said, passing over the credit card.

“I dinnae need it,” Rhiannon said, shifting to Common.

“I know, but I want to spoil you.”

“I could ‘ave bought it on my own.”

“I know. Indulge me? Please.” When she continued to stand with her hands on her hips, he sighed and said, “Fine. I’ll pay for the modifications.”

She smiled and gestured for him to bend down so that she could kiss him. They left the address to MBT in case they couldn’t make it back in time and left. The sun was beginning to set so she pulled him to her favorite part of the island.

The park was more out of concern that the cliffs couldn’t support a structure. She knew that it could, but she wasn’t telling anyone that. The water shimmered orange to the west.

“Wow.”

“An’ over there is a town called Brean,” she said, pointing to an area on the coast of Cae. “’At’s where I was born.”

“We could go there.”

“They wouldna recognize me,” she said softly.

He turned her head so that he could look her in the eyes. “Is that what you need from them?”

“I dinnae ken. C’mon. We should head back. ‘Opefully, Melisandre is home an’ ye can meet ‘er.”

When they got back to the house, there were two voices arguing in the kitchen. They were speaking rapid-fire Caelish so Farron was only picking up a few words but he gathered that it was about his and Rhiannon’s arrival. And something about hair.

“What did you do to your hair?” Rhiannon said.

The teenager in the room had brown hair that was cut short. He remembered that the picture of her had long hair. Sitting on her shoulder was a grey squirrel.

“Rhiannon,” the squirrel barked before jumping onto the counter and launching itself at the dragon slayer

“He talks,” Farron muttered.

“Yes. The real trick is getting him to shut up. Hi, Gwyn.” She absently pet the squirrel. “What happened to your hair?”

“I cut it.” The girl was scowling and Farron could hear the lie.

“No, you didn't. Not that short.” She sighed. “Who'd you get in trouble with?”

“I didn't get into trouble,” she groused.

“I know what I need from you,” Aderyn said, deciding to step in. “I'm going to make a memory dust for you. Just in case.”

“You need verisom, don't you?”

“Yes.”

Rhiannon sighed, took Farron's hand, and kissed his palm. “We'll talk about what happened when I get back,” she told Melisandre. She walked out the back door and shifted away.

“Mellie, keep him occupied while I work.”

They walked into the living room. He hadn't noticed before but the living room was lined with bookshelves. A few shelves held labeled bottles. This was the storefront.

Melisandre circled him with a speculative look. “So, yer ‘er mate,” she said in Common.

“Yes,” he said, watching her. She was much younger than most people that gave him that unabashed speculative look.

“Dae ye speak Caelish?”

“Well enough,” he replied in Caelish.

“Good. This works better in Caelish.” She caught his eyes and they began to glow. It was familiar to Kaleb's when he used his magic. “Kiss me.”

“I'm sorry?”

“Kiss me.”

“No.”

The glow dimmed and Melisandre looked at him speculatively. “Interesting. I wonder if it's because you're a dragon slayer’s mate or because you're _that_ not interested.”

“Melisandre, you are very important to the woman I love, but you do that to me again, and I'll have you in magic binding cuffs. Is that understood?” Farron said, his tone severe.

“That is if you can keep me from stopping you,” she said simply.

“You may be considered powerful by Caelish standards but there's still much for you to learn about tir-na-nog.”

She scowled and Farron and he had a pretty good guess as to her thoughts. Even by White Sea standards, she would be powerful. In Dyfed, she was a big fish in a small pond.

He sighed. “The was a jewelry store that we went to earlier. Do you think that you could guide me back?”

“Are you getting her a ring?” Melisandre asked with a wide eyed look. She grabbed his arm and started tugging him out.

“Yes. I always thought I'd propose with my mom's ring, but earlier-"

“Her folks hurt her. She likes to pretend she's not Caelish, but she also loves being Caelish. Keeping her accent this long takes effort. Pretty sure she took grammar lessons too.”

“Yeah.”

They returned to the same jewelry store.

“Hello, Mellie. So, that was Rhiannon? I thought it looked like her,” the woman said.

“Yup. And this is her soon-to-be fiancé.” Melisandre had already moved to look at the rings.

“That's why you said that you weren't newlyweds yet. You two were very…affectionate.”

“I'm Boscan.”

“Ah. We don't get too many of you in Caelum. Especially outside the main thoroughfare.”

“This one,” Melisandre said. He walked over to see which one she was po inting out.

The band had the traditional knotted pattern. In the knots  were small diamonds.  Instead of a diamond centerpiece, it had a sapphire. The sapphire was imperfect in that it was a combination of two shades of blue.

“That one,” he agreed.

 

Rhiannon returned an hour later a plant in her hands and skinned up knees. She dropped it onto the counter and Aderyn immediately got to work.

“What happened?” Farron asked, noticing the coloring shiner under her eye.

“Berserker,” she said. “Got a lucky swing in before I shifted out.”

“Why were you in Peregrande?”

“Only place verisom grows.”

“Do you-”

“I'm fine,” she said softly.

He sighed and kissed the shiner and then her lips. Knowing that dragonesses knew no fear, he couldn't fault her choices.

“Have you secured an invitation to Ciaran's house?” Aderyn asked.

Rhiannon gave Farron a sheepish look. “Aye. For a nightcap. I might’ve name dropped to do it. He doesn’t know that I’ll be there.”

“All right. Go. Let me finish this.”

.~*~.

“Your uncle is a baron?” Farron was staring at the small castle. It was stone with a stained glass window over the large front doors. It had been well taken care of over the centuries.

“Aye. Mum ‘ad an affair so ‘e’s not biologically my uncle. His da had multiple affairs. Da was one o’ ‘e bastards. Granda said ‘at all ‘is bastards ‘ad tae be taken care o’ so Da worked for the castle.”

Farron reached for her hand. He heard glimpses of her soul. Memories of being a child running through the gardens with other cousins. Of a man taking special interest in her that she suspected of being her biologic father.

The servant that opened the door nodded her head before giving Farron an admiring look. Rhiannon resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

“Mr. Pradesh and guest, we've be expecting you,” she said slowly and carefully so that her accent didn't slur the words in Common.

“Thank you,” Farron said graciously in Caelish. He didn't correct her comment concerning Rhiannon as they'd agreed that unless her uncle recognized her, they wouldn't say anything concerning her identity.

The woman's eyes widened and her smile turned flirtatious. “This way.”

She led them to the main sitting room. The room was austere with furniture that was meant to look attractive, not comfortable. Despite that, it had been one of Rhiannon’s favorite rooms growing up. The large, ornate fireplace was stunning and would fill the room with warmth in the winters. A few of her cousins could play the piano or violin and this was the room they'd practice so it was often filled with singing and laughing. The piano was still in the corner of the room.

“My name is Ailsa. If you need _anything,_ don't hesitate to ask.”

Farron heard Rhiannon’s soft scoff and smiled. “I'm spoken for,” he said, nodding his head at his mate.

“Oh. Really?” Ailsa glanced over Rhiannon who had barely managed to tame her hair and wore a dress that fit awkwardly because it belonged to Melisandre.

“Yes. Now, can you direct me to the bathroom to freshen up?” Rhiannon's accent was clearer and the woman immediately recognized her as Caelish. That flustered the woman into giving bad directions before scurrying away.

Her uncle's stock of magical trinkets was on the first floor. She didn’t think that her uncle had any idea of what the trinkets did but suspected that he could sense the power. It was next to the library.

The shelves held talismans from around Ishgar. She found the security system with relative ease. There was a wire to hook up her tablet in her requip space. It took her a few minutes for her to hack into the security system and shut it off.

“I feel like I should be annoyed with how easy that was,” she muttered. She grabbed the key and a bow and quiver that caught her eye before turning the security system back on.

She put both things in her requip space and headed back to the sitting room.

Ciaran heard her heels and stood. He was a tall man, though not as tall as Farron. His brown-red hair was shot through with gray. There was a soft gasp when he saw her. “Shona? No. Rhiannon.”

“Hello, Uncle Ciaran,” she said, giving a shallow curtsy.

His blue eyes were narrowed as he studied her. “How are you?”

“Good.”

“Mr. Pradesh was speaking of his significant other. He didn’t mention that it was my niece.”

“I told him not to. If you didn’t recognize me, then that was probably for the best.”

“You look like your mother.” The fact that she didn’t look at all look like her father hung in the air. That reminder that she was illegitimate.

“I apologize, Mr. Pradesh, but I don’t believe that I can work with you at this time,” he said to Farron before turning back to Rhiannon. “You should see your parents before you leave.”

Rhiannon shook her head. “It isn’t the job of the child to insist on a relationship with their parents. If you wish to meddle and interfere, they can reach me in Pelerno through Mare Bianco Technologies.”

“Ailsa-”

“I know the way. Thank you, Uncle. For your hospitality.”

Farron followed Rhiannon out of the dwelling. It surprised him that he heard no surprise in her soul.

“You knew that was how he’d react,” he said in Common was they were back in the car.

“Aye. Family is incredibly important in Caelish culture. E’en if my hometown thought ‘at I was some sort o’ hellspawn, kickin’ me out goes against so many values. Unless I was willin’ tae make nice, he couldnae associate wi’ me.”

“We could see them.”

“Nope.”

He turned her head to kiss her. “Consider it before we leave.”

She signed and gave him a small pout. “I'll consider it. Firs' I wanna know wha' happened tae Melisandre’s hair.”

As they traveled, Rhiannon explained that Melisandre was incredibly vain about her hair. Caelish women rarely had short hair and almost never as a teenager. Women would typically cut their hair short if their husband died. It was a sign of mourning.

They entered the house and Rhiannon immediately heard Melisandre's magic in the way she spoke to a customer.

“What are you doing?” she hissed as soon as the man was gone.

“My job?”

“What are you teaching her?” Rhiannon demanded when Aderyn walked into the room.

“To be a sales woman.”

“Seems more like a con.”

Aderyn shrugged.  “Close enough.”

Rhiannon took a deep breath and Farron could hear her soul seething before calming down suddenly as she took out her phone.

“What are you doing?” Farron asked in Common. 

“I'm not leavin’ her ‘ere. I'm gettin’ an airship back.”

He chuckled then looked at his phone when it chimed. “I don't think we have time for that…” He showed her the message.

“Yer right. I'm not forgettin’ this,” she said.

“Wha’ ‘appened?”

“Altiene, tir-na-nog king of Bosco, was attacked,” Rhiannon said. “Keep safe.  ‘Eir comin' for the mages.”


	22. Found

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A month... Um... Oops?

“Did they want us to head back?” Emery asked. They had ducked into an alley when Kaleb called Cristoff.

“No. Lucy thinks that we should continue. If Mom did find Acnologia here, then the remainder of the tomb might have important information.”

“Okay.”

They started walking again. Now that they knew Nurem had been in town for awhile, they were moving through the shops hoping to find someone that would recognize an old picture that he had of her. A few people vaguely recognized her but not in detail.

“When you were in the hospital, I said you spoke Boscan well and you said you were Boscan,” Cristoff commented.

“Because I am. I was born in Trieste, along the Boscan and Fioran border. Layla only had one female dragon who had a daughter. And Wendy was a toddler at the time. Grammi and Irene stopped coming around as much because Layla wanted Lucy protected from tir-na-nog and Jude was afraid of the effect of having all dragons for friends would have on his daughter.

“Mom hated being a single parent. Jude gave her a place to dump me for extended periods. I had _just_ gone through my induction. I’ll let you guess how much Fiore sucked.”

“I don’t need to. Bickslow.”

“Right. I forgot.”

“Did you two-?”

“Yes. Heard him speaking Boscan to- I think- your father. His face was hilarious when I walked up to him and asked him to share pleasure. He was my go-to until I was old enough that I was socially acceptable for me to be sexually active in Fiore.”  

“Flowers for your lady?” a merchant with a flower cart said to Cristoff.

“I’m not his-” She tried to stammer out but was ignored by Cristoff who walked over and bought a single daisy. Before the merchant could comment about his choice in flowers., he’d broken the stem and tucked it behind her ear with some hair twisted around it.

“There. Goes with your eyes.”

Emery blushed and nodded. “Thank you.”

The merchant smiled at the interaction instead of the barb that Emery knew was at the tip of his tongue.

Cristoff held out his arm for her. She couldn't help the smile as she took his arm.

.~*~.

Erik was pacing in the living room while members of Altiene's security, the police, and mages from both White Sea and the Steel Council spoke in hushed tones in another room. The wards were just strong enough that all he heard was buzzing.

Sitting on the couch was Novalie. She was chewing on a nail which was furthering to annoy him because of the bandage on her arm. There were limitations to her magical healing and a sprained wrist was beyond it. She'd refused the healers while they dealt with those injured by the riot.

The day had started innocuously. Erik and Novalie had gone out for lunch off-campus between two of her classes. They were enjoying Minstrellan Ices in the park when a man came up to them demanding to know if the rumors that the Endivosh family were mages were true. Initially, Erik went to deny it before Novalie stopped him.

Watching Novalie play the role of politician’s daughter impressed Erik but not the man. Soon, the man's voice had carried enough that a crowd was forming. Some were mages waiting for a subtle opportunity. Some were Milesians that agreed or disagreed with the man.

It wasn't until the first man grabbed Novalie trying to get her to prove her magic that violence broke out. Erik didn't remember attacking the man. Just the final thought that the man dared to lay hands on his mate.

“Please sit,” Novalie said softly and Erik instinctively sat down next to her.  She crawled into his lap and curled up there. “You're not in trouble. They're just trying to figure out how to deal with the situation.”

“I know. I know. But there's no way to do that without being open about the presence of tir-na-nog.”

“Your mate is a smart one,” Kurino said, walking out with their father. “Arman and Farron Pradesh will be speaking to the other tir-na-nog noble houses so that we're a united front. Ideally, tomorrow.”

Erik was used to needing a poker face but this woman made him uncomfortable. The retort that Farron was in Caelum with his mate lingered on his tongue.  

Kurino guided the officers out of the room until it was only the couple and Altiene.

“Say you did well seems like the wrong thing to say, but I don't know what else to say,” Altiene admitted. “Keep a guard with you at all times. Understood?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Yes, Father.”

“Go, and stay out of trouble.” Altiene returned to walk back into his office.

“I'd offer you an out if I had one,” Novalie said. “I know that you don't like attention like that.”

“I don't,” he acknowledged. “But you’re my mate.” He tilted her face up to kiss her. “C'mon. Let's got outta here.”

.~*~.

Lucy sighed at the familiar scent of her shampoo and conditioner. They were back in Pelerno. Trying to figure out a living arrangement that worked for all of them was temporarily put on hold. Zen and her both had leases to consider.

Kaleb was at the office dealing with some of the mess there while Farron and Arman were calling all of the noble houses. As of yet, they were still keeping her a secret.

She hummed absently as she walked back to her room. She was dancing to that music when movement caught her eye. Turning to get a better look, she realized that it was a spider on the floor by her dresser.

Shrieking, she launched herself onto her bed. 

She was in a fourth story apartment. In theory, if she jumped out her window, Libra could adjust gravity to keep her from crash landing. Assuming she timed it right. Before it occurred to her to call a spirit to kill it, it moved.

Shrieking, she scrambled to get further away, only to forget that she was standing on her bed and tumbled off.

The burst of magic and suddenly Kaleb was standing there, looking down at her.

“Not that I mind the view, but this doesn’t seem like an emergency.” There was a hint amusement in the faint crooked smirk.

She scrambled to cover herself with the blanket she’d pulled down with her. “I didn’t mean to pull you here, but as long as you’re here, there’s a spider. Please kill it.”

“Beck would be appalled.”

“Don’t care. Please kill it.”

“They’re good for-”

“Don’t care. Please kill it.”

She sat on her bed, holding her breath, as Kaleb scrambled to catch the arachnid. At some later point, she had plans to tease him about how much trouble he had, but in that moment, she was pretty sure that she was damned close to a heart attack every time the spider ran out of sight.

Instead of killing it, he caught it in her brushes’ cup and carried it outside. By the time he’d returned, she was in a set of pajamas that showed a tantalizing amount of skin. He almost wished that she was trying to seduce him but he knew she wasn’t.

“My hero.”

“Does that mean that I get a hero’s reward?” he asked, placing his hands on her hips and enjoying the way she shivered at his touch.

“Just us?”

He sighed, knowing what she meant.

He leaned down and kissed her temple. “I should get back.”

“Apologize to Beck and Cris for me,” she said, glancing over his workout clothes that hugged everything. And now that she wasn’t panicking about a spider, she could appreciate how good his ass looked in those shorts.

“Pretty sure it looks better out of them.”

“Shoo,” she said, pretending that her face wasn’t red.

He was laughing as he conceded and left.

.~*~.

It didn't surprise Emery that she woke up first. She didn't try to break herself of the habit of getting up early for school.

That didn't stop her from being a lovely kind of fatigued. All deliciously sore muscles that had her tempted to turn him down when he offered healing. That was the last night of the full moon. The last night to pretend at platonic sex.

She propped her head up to watch him sleep.

“That's a little weird,” he murmured with a crooked smile and slowly opening his dark blue eyes. “Why am I worried about whatever is going through your head?”

“I was just thinking about us going home tonight.”

They'd managed find what Nurem had been looking for. It was a cavern a few hours out of town: three hours by car and probably another two hours on foot. Cristoff decided to jump them back to Pelerno since would probably be night by then.

“Are things going to change? About us.”

“They have to. I shouldn’t have done this to begin with.”

“But you did. We did. Was this really just sharing pleasure?”

“I don’t know what it was, but it can’t be-” she paused- “permanent.”

“Fine,” Cristoff said stiffly. He could feel her emotions. Could hear both the truth and the lie in her words.

They were quiet around one another for the rest of the morning. A bit stiff. Something both of them recognized as unnatural for them.

The cavern they were headed to was deeper than either of them had thought.

“What is it?” Cristoff asked when Emery stopped.

“I noticed it earlier but dismissed it…”

“Dismissed what?”

“It looked random initially.”

Once she’d pointed them out, he noticed the lines carved into the walls. They looked natural. The only reason that this section was noticeable was lack of plant life.

Emery pressed a hand to the wall and Cristoff felt her push magic into it. Golden light traced down the walls, burning through the plant life, and creating a glow in the corridor.

“It looks like writing.”

“It is. This is Celestial runework.” Emery’s finger traced the various pathways. “More complex than anything I’ve ever seen.”

“Can you translate it?”

“Some…Looks like variations on binding runes. These are insane…” she murmured.

“Acnologia insane?”

“Yeah. She wasn’t taking chances…” She ran her fingers over a fresher line of runes. “Here’s where they started breaking the magic.”

“Would you be able to rewrite?”

“Sure… With the ability to clone myself _and_ Lucy. And a year’s supply of Adderall.”

“Understood. But we’re definitely in the right place?”

“I’d say so…”

They kept walking. Emery occasionally stopped to take pictures and make note of specific runes or the enchantments used to break them. His nose was practically useless since it had been so many years since anyone had been down there.

 The rune led to a decently sized cavern. The walls were a patchwork of glowing celestial magic and the duller spell breaker that was leaching off the magic. In the center was a large, shattered lacrima. The large chunk that remained intact made it apparent that the lacrima had been holding Acnologia.

“Damn…” Emery murmured. She walked over, picked up a piece, and studied it. It glowed faintly in her hand, so she started gathering more pieces and sticking them in her bag.

“What are you doing?”

“Layla sealed him in lacrima. Which would’ve absorbed his magic over the last four hundred years. We might be able to make these into a weapon.”

“Good thinking,” Cristoff said, collecting more pieces as well.

The hike back out was uneventful. She stopped to take more pictures of any runes she’d missed.

“Come on,” Cristoff said, reaching for Emery. “I still think you need to reconsider your priorities,” he said softly before teleporting them home.

.~*~.

“You’re early,” Xally said when Lynn draped herself over the counter.

“I know. I couldn’t sleep. And I was getting fidgety.”

“So, you came to work? Almost an hour early?”

“Well, my wifey is here so why not?” Lynn propped herself up, her breasts resting on the counter.

Xally gave her friend an amused look before noticing the black key on a chain around her neck. “That’s an interesting necklace.”

“Hm? Oh, thanks. It was one of Dad’s and I’ve been wearing it a lot lately, but I guess you never noticed.”

“You’re early, but I’m about to take my lunch. Wanna eat with me?”

“Sure.”

_Kaleb, get Hestor to the hospital cafeteria now. I don’t care how, but I’m pretty sure Lynn is wearing the last Hall key._

_I’ll get him there._

Xally dragged her feet through dinner while talking about work and her friend’s funky sleep patterns. She was whining about waking up at noon like clockwork. Given that she worked the third shift, 8 PM to 4 AM, Xally could understand her pain.

She sighed when Hestor burst through the door and zeroed in on her.

“Hestor, this is my friend, Lynn.”

She looked up at him and he froze. He felt the key she wore but for a moment, that didn’t matter. What he instead focused on was her eyes. They were aquamarine, like the stone. Like his favorite diving spot.

In that moment, he knew who she was. She was the Milesian archangel that he’d heard whispered about. That Lucy was constantly trying to figure out how to become friends without spooking or accidentally triggering the last phase of transformation.

“What would it take for you to give me that key?”

Xally stifled a groan and mostly focused her attention on Lynn. She knew what type of men usually appealed to the other woman. Men that looked like Cristoff. There were many times that she joked that the last thing she needed was a man as fair as her since their children would glow in the dark.

However, Lynn seemed captivated by Hestor. And just as confused by it.

“It’s not for sale.”

“Everything’s for sale.”

“That’s cynical.”

“That’s life.”

“Still not for sale.”

“Look, I have twenty grand-”

“Not. For. Sale.” Lynn leaned back as she looked up at the still standing Hestor with her arms crossed under her chest. She’d glanced a few daggers at Xally, having figured out that she’d somehow told the half-crazed man. Though, the tingling he elicited underneath her skin was making her feel equally half-crazed.

“Why?” he asked, sitting down.

“My dad collected keys. This was his. I’ve just had a weird urge to wear it lately. Why do you want it?”

“It’s part of a set. Ten keys. I have nine. And it’s important that I have all ten.”

“Why?”

“It’s complicated and I can’t tell you.”

Lynn searched his face then glanced at Xally who nodded slightly.

“Let me see.”

Having guessed that she’d ask that, he’d taken a picture of the keys.

“Fine. On your word?” He nodded. “Then seal it like a Boscan. Seal it with a kiss.”

She didn’t know why she said that. Or why she wanted to kiss the man. The way he balked at the command made her bristle. No, she didn’t have Xally’s looks but he didn’t need to react like that.

“Fuck it,” she said, dropping the key on the table. “I need to go change.”

Hestor stood as well to stop her. He tried to convince himself that kissing her was because he’d made an agreement. Or just the compulsion. He could feel it wrapping around him, reminding him of when he first met Zen. That made sense. He had a preference for men.

Unlike Kaleb or Farron who had their own magics, she was Milesian. She was solely an archangel. The magic was seeking completion. As much as his magic needed hers, she needed him.

She wasn’t certain which of them deepened the kiss, but the feel of his hand on her upper back felt weirdly erotic. There was a pulse in her. In the kiss. Not in an orgasm from a kiss kind of way. She couldn’t describe it.

“Privacy room,” Xally said. She could feel the slowly intensifying pressure of their magic. She worried that Lynn’s wings would suddenly appear in the cafeteria.

Lynn guided them to one of the privacy rooms. No one batted an eye. It was Bosco and a hospital. Most were assuming it was stress sex.

The door was barely closed and locked when they started shedding their clothes. Once he knew she was ready for him, he slid into her. For a moment, he froze. He’d forgotten what it felt like to sleep with a woman.

Then her wings appeared. They were golden with a hint of red. An archangel of the mid-day star.

The wings knocked them off the wall and onto the lounge where Lynn rode him.

He felt the magic wrapping around him. She didn’t know how to resist the urge to mate.

 _Stop_ , he willed it. _Stop._ Half of the Hall keys were demanding to know why he was stopping. The other half was watching with bemused silence.

Once upon a time, he might’ve become the man that would take an archangel against their will. And yet, he felt a bond like a golden thread connect the two of them.

Even her orgasm seemed to be waiting for him. She fainted as soon as they both came, her body overtaxed from the magic. Before dressing, Hestor crawled over to his cellphone.

**Hestor: I need some help.**

**Kaleb: Figured. Xally called. Covered for Lynn.**

**Kaleb: How is she? Did you mate?**

**Hestor: No but we’re bonded. She fainted.**

**Kaleb: Makes sense. Cris is in the cafeteria. Stick your head out so he knows which room.**

**Hestor: Fine. Thanks.**

He dressed himself then her. Cristoff and Lynn had shared pleasure, he knew that, but he found himself gritting his teeth at the idea of him seeing her naked again.

“Fucking hell,” he groaned, looking at the woman.

.~*~.

A golden-haired man stared out his window, shifting a silver key with a crown at the top between his fingers. It had been in his possession for a long time. Centuries.

In the ether, he felt the keys of the Watchers fall to Emery Cuore. Of course, they’d choose her to reveal themselves to. The one who was never destined for an archangel.

“You’re pensive,” his aide said.

“I know. Just thinking.”

“About our government or theirs?”

The man turned to his aide with a slow smile. “There’s upheaval. Beyond the revelations of magic.”

All over Ishgar, mages were defending themselves against accusations of abuse of power. Many countries were led by mages, even if they didn’t use their magic to get them their positions. The tir-na-nog royals did this to protect the mages in the event of a reveal.

“Is there somewhere you’ll need to go?” the aide asked.

The man shook his head. “Not yet.” He continued to shift the key between his fingers. “Not yet, but soon.”


	23. Midday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Sherlock was the ambient noise while I was writing this. Yes, that's a Sherlock quote.

Lynn woke up slowly in an unfamiliar. There were black out curtains, but she could see hints of light around the edges. Everything in the room was dark colors but she could see that it wasn’t all black. Through the cracked door, she could hear voices and slowly got up. Her body ached like she’d been sick.

“I’m only here because she deserves to have a familiar face around.” She recognized Cristoff’s voice.

“What am I supposed to say? No one told her about the marks in the first place,” another voice said. She recognized that voice from the man at the hospital.

Her head was clearer now, but she remembered the pull. Remembered how much she’d wanted the man despite her clear head having no attraction to the face in her memory.

“I don’t know,” Cristoff said. “But the bond is established, and her magic is fully initiated. You saw her wings.”

“Are you talking about me?” Lynn asked, walking into the living room of the flat. Her eyes flitted over Cristoff to settle on the shorter man. He’d pulled his silver hair back into a low ponytail and she supposed his steel blue eyes were pretty. That didn’t change the fact that he wasn’t her type.

“Yes,” the man said frankly.

“I don’t- What happened yesterday?”

“Lynn, this is Hestor Kedanza. He’s a celestial mage.”

Lynn shifted away from both men. “Are you a mage, Cris?”

“Yes. I’m a dragon slayer.”

“I can’t- Nope. Just nope.” Lynn started for the door but Cristoff intercepted her.

“You have to listen to us. You’re a mage. Sort of. You had latent magic that was deep in your genetics. It was pulled to the surface recently. We hadn’t figured out a way to tell you without you freaking out and we didn’t want to trigger the magic, but Hestor did yesterday,” Cristoff said.

“I’m not- That’s not possible.”

“Close your eyes,” Cristoff said and waited for her to follow his command. “You know in the morning when you’re lying in bed and you do a mental check of your body. You know everything’s there, but you do it anyways.

“Do you feel it?”

It felt like energy just under her skin that made it not fit quite right. Like a tingling buzz. Cristoff felt the spike in energy and quickly moved her a few feet so that when her wings unfurled it didn’t knock anything over.

Lynn opened her eyes, felt the unfamiliar weight on her back, and saw the wings on her back. Then fainted.

.~*~.

Marinette hummed as she worked. The two were in the middle of the living room while Marinette used Rhiannon as a dress form.

“Why am I wearin’ ‘is?” Rhiannon asked again.

“Because I wanted to see it on a person.” The dress had been on the dress form for a few days while Marinette

The strapless dress was dark purple with a sweetheart bodice and lace accents. It was lovely and Rhiannon was surprised how much she liked the purple despite her red hair.

The doorbell rang and the two women glanced up. “I’ll get it,” Marinette chirped. She opened the door. “Hi, Farron.”

“Hey, Marinette. Is Rhiannon here?”

“Aye. I’m ‘ere. Let me get changed.”

Farron walked into the room fully and smiled. “Wow. You look amazing.”

“Thanks, bu’ ‘tis one o’-”

“Oh, don’t worry about it. Go out and have fun,” Marinette said, holding out a pair of heels that matched too well with her dress and already in her size.

Farron held her hand to help keep her steady.

“Ye two conspired somethin’, didn’ ye?” Rhiannon asked.

“No idea what you’re talking about,” he said but didn’t try to hide his smirk.

She rolled her eyes but smiled especially when her eyes caught the wings over her heart that had finally appeared.

..--*--..

  _The looks that Yukino had been giving Farron had been enough to send them home. While Rhiannon maintained her apartment with Marinette, she spent nights with Farron. She didn’t feel too guilty after walking in to Marinette and her Chat Noir having sex on the couch._

_One day, while eating lunch with Farron, Yukino had shown up at MBT insisting to speak with him._

_“It’s my right as a celestial mage to challenge you for Farron,” she announced when they went down to see what the fuss was about._

_For a moment, Rhiannon had stared at her blankly until she felt a tug on her mating bond from Farron. Farron was staring at Yukino with a blank expression on his face. That was something they’d been warned about. The incomplete mating could create an opening. Though the dragon mating would ensure she would still sense an attempt._

_“Oh, screw ‘at!” Rhiannon lunged at Yukino. Yukino was ill-prepared for the attack, forgetting that she was challenging a dragoness._

_Before Farron and Rhiannon had come down, somebody had alerted Vander and Beck. Vander grasped the situation quickly and disappeared to find Lucy. While they were gone, Beck stopped anyone from attempting to intercede on the fight._

_Much of the fight was Yukino running from Rhiannon. Her attempts at direct magic blasts flew wild as she ran. The sword that Yukino pulled from her requip was parried with a chair before being tossed. The dragon slayer was intent on fighting with her bare hands._

_“Do you concede the challenge?” Lucy yelled as soon as she and Vander appeared._

_“Yes!” Yukino yelled back, half sobbing._

_Farron snapped out of the daze almost instantaneously but Rhiannon was hellbent on tearing off Yukino’s head._

_“Go,” Lucy said to Beck who immediately charged over and bear hugged Rhiannon to him._

_“Let me go!” Rhiannon said, thrashing against him._

_Healers were nervously approaching Yukino, obviously worried about getting between a dragoness and her target. Farron approached Rhiannon and used his magic to calm her._

_“I’m all right and all yours,” he said, pulling her close and smiling when he felt her nuzzle his chest. “Tell Kaleb I won’t be back in.”_

_“Yeah,” Lucy said, already walking over to Yukino._

_“I made a mess,” Rhiannon mumbled in Caelish._

_“It’s all right,” Farron told her softly._

_They made it back to the townhouse with relative ease. Through the bond, he could feel how shaken she was but struggled to understand why. Emzadi had struggled with being a dragoness at times. Especially after Shinro’s death. It was as if there was a part of her soul that she preferred to run from._

_Cuddling him in bed, she finally cracked and told him her secret._

_Not long after running from home, she’d fallen asleep under some trees, somewhere in Fiore. The earth woke her up as a group of men surrounded her. In her fear, she’d attacked._

_A few hours later, she woke up after her body collapsed from its inability to handle the strain from the magic. Her clothes were torn, and she was covered in blood. Around her were the dead bodies. Some still had branches in them and there were signs of a dragon’s roar. The fact that they might have meant no harm frightened her and she’d run._

_That was how she’d ended up in the Minstrellan dark guild. They’d found her, asked no questions, and simply cleaned her up. It was a woman that said she was a dragon too, doing research at the local university, that helped her understand her magic and guided her towards archival magic to ease the bombardment of messages she received from the earth._

_Despite the woman and the guild’s attempts to get her to embrace that other side of her slayer magic, she never did. Instead, she dove into the passive side. The side that allowed her to track and communicate with the earth._

_That didn’t change what she was expected to do for the guild._

_“I’ve got blood on my ‘ands,” Rhiannon sobbed._

_“Rhia, the problems of your past are your business. The problems of your future are my privilege.” Farron kissed her. “Everything I am, I give to you. Freely.”_

_It wouldn’t be until well into the next day that Rhiannon would notice the golden wings._

..--*--..

Farron took her dancing. Something she was abysmal at, but he teased that he liked getting to lead the dragoness. And it was nice during the slow dances when he held her. They both enjoyed when she’d be a sore loser and he’d have to stop her sulking. It was a mutual agreement not to comment.

Since their date had been a surprise, she didn’t have her tongue piercing in. That prompted Farron to talk about anything that came to mind to listen to her lilting accent.

“Come on. Ice cream at home,” Farron said when she’d given him a whine at being denied the chocolate cake at the restaurant.

“On ye or me?” she asked cheekily.

“Definitely on you,” he purred in her ear.

She grinned twirling on his finger before letting him lead her out.

Since getting back from Caelum, he’ been careful not to let her see the backyard. The fact that he had curtains over the glass doors, and she preferred her own had helped. Conspiring with Marinette had been easy. She had no problem letting Rowan go to their garden to study Rhiannon’s choices.

“Ice cream?” she questioned when Farron lightly pulled her towards the sliding doors.

“In a moment,” Farron said, covering her eyes. His sister had left the door open for him.

The brick walls now had vines crawling up them. The large tree in the center had a bench circling it. Bushes of various flowers lined a pathway. A younger tree had been pushed to grow faster so that it created a shady spot for her to sit on the ground. Xally had set out wine and strung up fairy lights through the flowers.

“Surprise,” Farron said, removing his hands.

“‘Ow did ye do ‘is?” Rhiannon said quietly.

“I had some help from Rowan. Rhiannon,” Farron said softly, prompting her to turn. “I am never going to run from you or push you aside. I loved you before we were mated. And I am thrilled that we’re going to spend our long lives together.” He pulled the ring he’d bought in Caelum. “Will you marry me?”

Her eyes widened at the familiar design before smiling. “Aye,” Rhiannon said, pulling him down to kiss. “Aye, I will.”

.~*~.

Lucy laughed as she charged into the dark guild that she had partnered with Zen, Bickslow, and Laxus to take down. Since the revelation of magic, the dark guilds had been stirring up trouble. She’d insisted on going out occasionally so that she could argue that she did.

Enough so that Farron and Rhiannon had started investigating. The ring on her finger probably spurred them on more.

Lucy spent time in Farron’s office at MBT. It was almost funny watching the way the two of them bickered though it was obvious that there was no ire in either of their tones. And the way they moved around each other was so in sync that it almost seemed as if they were the mind readers.

This was the second time she’d charged in like that. Opening her third origin had allowed her to switch through her star dresses with ease. It was impressive to watch her fight and Zen had no problem admitting that it was arousing. However, that recklessness was worrying them.

.~*~.

Lynn attempted to go home. She’d made it five miles from Hestor’s apartment before starting to feel woozy. Cristoff pulled over his car to look at her in confusion. Then, a few minutes later, he gets a call from Hestor with similar symptoms.

“What’s going on?” Lynn asked Emery when she showed up.

One look at Hestor and Emery was certain he’d already made an educated guess.

“Your bond is more tenuous- more fragile- than the others. Magic wants to be complete.  An incomplete spell will tug at a mage for completion,” Emery said carefully. “Because Hestor stopped before mating, the magic is incomplete. In an attempt to urge you to finish, the magic has created a tether of apparently five miles.”

“I work more than five miles from this apartment,” Lynn said. “Undo it.”

“I can’t,” Emery said sheepishly. “It’s above my paygrade. And the only spirit that I have that could is outright refusing.”

“I’m stuck with him?”

“Don’t sound so thrilled,” Hestor snarked.

“Can I kill him?” Lynn asked.

“Pretty sure the magic will stop you.”

“Damn.”

“I don’t like women. You think I’m enjoying this?” Hestor said.

“Why did it have to be you and not Cris? At least I might potentially enjoy sex.”

“I’m Boscan. Just because I don’t want to fuck doesn’t mean you wouldn’t enjoy it.”

“Ha!”

Emery stepped over to Cristoff as the two of them argued. It had shifted from sex to their careers and whose was more important.

“Pretty sure this is going to be our new entertainment,” Emery muttered.

“There’s a good chance of that,” Cristoff whispered with a chuckle. “Let’s sneak out before they notice.”

The two snuck out, using their raised voices as cover for the door opening and closing.

Emery laughed. “I’m putting money on her figuring out some way to kill him.”

“I can see that.” Cristoff smiled. “I’ll see you around.”

“Yeah,” she murmured and watched him drive off then scrambled to her own car to leave before they noticed they were alone.

.~*~.

Emery watched Kaleb pace while Lucy was on the mission with his brothers and Laxus.

“I’m worried. I’m frightened for her,” Kaleb said. “Her emotions have been oscillating dangerously. She’s reckless.”

“It’s because of the Kedanza and his keys,” Michael said.

The seven keys of Enoch had landed on Emery’s head while she was meditating after returning from Minstrel with Cristoff. The keys refused to be wielded by Emery who had the Ptolemaic Royals and was the current heir to the Étoile throne. After the incident with Yukino challenging Rhiannon for Farron, Emery took her off the list of potential wielders before Michael said he’d made a promise not to make a contract with her.

Michael was a tall man with brown hair, golden eyes, and a matter-of-fact personality.

“What do you mean?” Kaleb asked with a frown.

“The Hall of Two Truths is draining. They are dark keys and without positive influences could easily turn a mage dark.

“Samira Étoile set up the Hawk arrangement as a way to protect her friend. The Dove arrangement made was to protect the Étoile and give her some balance. After the Evelyn abdicated, the Hall was taken to Stella and became priests of Anubis while our keys floated through worthy hands.”

“So, we need to find someone worthy to make the contract with you to balance out Lucy. Is that correct?” Emery asked.

“Yes. Sooner rather than later. Her magic is already straining under two mated bonds,” Michael stated.

“Do you know anyone?” Kaleb asked.

“Not many. Our magic is dying. And I’d prefer not to ask Martina for help, or she’ll try insisting. I’ll make a few calls. I might steal Cris to jump me to Fiore to see what’s in Layla’s rolodex.”

“All right.” Kaleb stopped pacing and ran to his phone when it started ringing a continuous beep. “Yes? Shit. What happened? Call Cris. I’ll be right down.”

“Lucy was hurt. They’re in the infirmary.”

Michael disappeared as Emery followed him down.

“What happened?” they both asked as soon as they got down to the infirmary.

“She was reckless. Mage got a good blast off,” Laxus said gruffly before stepping outside to pace.

Kaleb joined the healer. He’d been taking time to learn the healing aspect of his magic though it felt like it was bottle-necking. He guessed that it was because his mate was unconscious and unable to support the magic as well.

Emery stepped outside while the two mates did what they could to help.

“She’s getting worse,” Laxus stated.

Emery nodded and made a call. “Hey. Lucy and I need a really big favor. One that involves you coming back to Bosco.” She paused for a moment. “Yeah, I know, but we really need your help. It’s urgent but take care of your affairs there because I can’t promise you’ll return.” She listened for a few minutes and saw Laxus’s widen as he realized who she was talking to. “Thanks. Call when you’re flying over.”

“You called her?”

“She’s the only other celestial mage I know besides Martina.” Emery sighed. “I’m afraid she’ll have to challenge Lucy for Zen or Kaleb.”

.~*~.

Lucy had been released from the infirmary with orders concerning no strenuous activity with a pointed glare at Zen and Kaleb. Emery decided that meant girls’ night in with junk food and rom-coms. While Novalie couldn’t join them, she’d managed to snag all the other mated women in their group.

“You know, there's something that's been bugging me,” Lucy said.

“What?” Emery asked.

“Ares made the dragon slayers have mates because of Aphrodite, right? So why would she dictate _who_ they could fall in love with?”

Emery frowned as the other women turned from the rom-com they were watching.

“What are you getting at?”

“Just that it didn't make sense. Sounds more like something a Heartfilia decided versus divine proclamation. _Maybe_ Heartfilias are the one people that a dragon _could_ choose.”

Watching her, they saw the comprehension on her face, and she jumped up.

“Where are you going?” Novalie asked as she put on her shoes.

“To get my man.”

Emery ignored their cheers as she ran out.

She'd barely knocked when he opened the door. All he wore were low riding sleep pants, but she was focused on his blue eyes.

“I love you. Like so much that it's ridiculous. And I've been fighting the whole becoming a Heartfilia again, but you and Lucy are right. I just- I couldn't give up something that's-”

He interrupted her rant by kissing her.  “‘Bout time.”

.~*~.

“That fucking bitch!” Kurino screeched when she saw the filed paperwork for Farron and Rhiannon’s engagement.

Hisui, who was in Bosco under the guise of policy reasons, looked up from her laptop. “Farron, I presume.”

“This isn’t working.” Kurino stood and started pacing. “I was supposed to have more freedom, not less. White Sea is doing too good a job at taking down dark guilds before they cause too much trouble.”

“Then what do you want to do about it?” Hisui asked, closing her laptop.

“Make your calls. I want Tartarus and Grimoire Hearts. It’s time we set Acnologia loose. And any dark mages on the Steel Council’s payroll.”

Hisui smirked and made her calls.


	24. Arrivals

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm alive. Generally exhausted and busy but alive.  
> Also, I really hate unfinished stories.

Kaleb was in damage control mode. He didn’t know what had changed but something had definitively changed. The rise of dark guilds seemed to happen overnight, and he was scrambling to get mages places.

Farron and Rhiannon were nearly living out of his office as they tried to keep up with news reports. To most that knew Farron, it almost amused them to see Farron taking second fiddle as Rhiannon was the faster hacker despite Farron having more established bots.

“Hey,” Farron said, coming up behind Rhiannon as she focused on the screen.

She tilted her head up to look at him with a small smile that he kissed. “Hello, Handsome.”

“You need to take a break.”

“I’ll take one in a minute,” she said, half her attention going back to the screen.

“And I’m the workaholic…” he muttered, knowing that she’d hear him. “I brought fries and macaroons from Marinette’s parents’ bakery.”

Rhiannon stopped and turned to give Farron her undivided attention making him chuckle.

After making sure she’d eaten, he asked, “How bad?”

“Too many reports. I blethered wi’ Kaleb and set up relays wi’ the other light guilds around Ishgar. Including a few Aos Sí ones ‘at I know. But…”

“What?”

Rhiannon swallowed hard before pulling up a few reports. “They came in while ye were out.”

The reports were of attacks around Ishgar with staggering body counts. She was tapping the barbell against her teeth while watching him. He dropped down so that he was looking her in the eye.

“You can ask me not to go far.”

She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close. “Donae go far.”

“Love you.”

“Love ye too.” She got a wicked look in her eyes before nipping his neck. “I have bots doing e’erything and relaying them back tae Kaleb and the lieutenants.”

“Hold that thought.” He let her wrap her legs around his waist then standing. Before carrying her to the couch, he locked the door to make sure they were undisturbed.

.~*~.

Lucy woke up after being healed and was fidgety.

A dark guild had gotten too close to Pelerno. A team was sent, and Lucy joined them without telling anyone. The argument between Lucy and the two archangels had been loud. That she’d managed to make it back relatively unscathed wasn’t the point though they ignored that.

She spent an inordinate amount of time training. Even Laxus who was one of the first to say that Lucy needed to train more expressed his concern. Capricorn as well.

“How much longer can she keep this up?” Emery asked Leo as she took a break from training but watched as Lucy continued against Zen.

“There’s too much magic and she’s trying to burn through it. But her body…” Leo trailed off.

For once, Emery knew that it wasn’t lecherous thoughts about her cousin’s body that he was thinking about. Emery sighed and stood.

“Where are you going?” Leo asked.

Emery gave him a thin smile and shook her head. “I need to make a call.” She went to one of the privacy booths and pulled out her cell phone.

“Hello?” a voice said after a few rings.

“Hello, Zeref. It’s Emery.”

 

Emery hung up and sighed before leaving. Cristoff was leaning against the wall opposite of the booth.

“Caught your scent. Is everything okay?” he asked, studying her.

Emery walked over and rested her face onto his chest. “Yeah. Maybe. I don’t know. What are you doing here?”

“Lucy…”

“Oh no,” Emery said, immediately turning to go back to the training ground.

“It was a minor break. And she accidentally yanked Kaleb to her so I think that she has enough people fussing over her.” Cristoff brushed some errant hair out of her face. “Come on. Let’s get you cleaned up and we can go out.”

“I-”

“You need someone to take care of you a little too. Come on.”

She gave him a smile and let him lead her out.

.~*~.

“What the fuck is this?” Hestor asked, walking out of his bedroom with a porcupine Beanie Baby.

Lynn gave him a sweet smile when she looked up from the romance novel that she was reading. “Someone mentioned that your nickname was Prickly. I thought that it was appropriate.”

“I hate you.”

“No, you don’t. And Rowan said that he was bringing Stellan.”

Hestor sneered at her before disappearing into his bedroom. It had taken time, but they’d learned that as long as they spent most of their time together, they could stretch the tether enough to allow them to go to their respective jobs. The two alternated living spaces usually based on her work schedule.

Rowan had taken to half living with them to act as a buffer. The laid-back man was usually half-amused watching them bicker back and forth.

The magic still tugged but had almost settled into a kind of complacency. A kind of acceptance to the situation.

Lynn still had a satisfied, pleased look on her face when Rowan walked into the house. He took one look at her and chuckled.

“You actually gave it to him?”

“Of course, I did. Did you get the buns I like?”

“Yeah.”

Lynn set her book aside as Rowan set the bag down on the counter. “Awesome. Thanks.”

He studied her as she stood to join him in the kitchen. “How are you? Really?”

She leaned against the island and ran her hand through her curls. The strawberry-blonde served as a reminder of what she was. “It feels weird, feeling uncomfortable in my own skin. I’d thought I grew out of that by the time I hit my twenties. Now, it feels like my skin doesn’t fit right. And I underestimated how badly bruise.”

“Did Hestor give you the ointment I made for that?”

Lynn nodded. “Not sure whose brilliant idea it was to give my fat ass wings but-”

“You’re beautiful.”

“I know I am. I said I was fat, not ugly.”

“You’re not fat.”

“Rowan, hun. Let me gripe. Okay? I know I’m not fat. I just muscle more noticeably. However, I was training with Hestor at MBT today where there’s plenty of badass women who are smaller and sexier than me so I’m cranky. Okay?” She grabbed the buns and then a jar of ice cream that she’d threatened their manhoods if they touched before heading out to the back patio.

As soon as the door had shut, Hestor came out of his room. “And you wonder about my dislike of the situation…” he muttered as he looked at what Rowan had brought with interest.

Rowan chuckled again but wisely didn’t comment. The Fates had a twisted sense of humor.

.~*~.

A joint team of Sevenese shifters and White Sea mages were fighting Grimoire Hearts cannon fodder. At first, it seemed like a victory for the light mages until Eris showed up on the field. Her magic was a purple that flowed in every direction.

Then chaos erupted. Neither side knew who was friend or foe and turned on each other. She giggled, dancing and singing around the fighters.

“Nesryn?” a familiar voice said.

She turned to see Vander. Her mark on him made him immune to this side of her magic.

“Was not expecting to see you here,” she half sang as she skipped over to him then pulled him down to kiss. “I’ll have to ask if I can keep you yet. For now-” she kissed him again- “kill them all,” she said against his lips.  

Vander’s last thought as she felt her magic take him over and he turned his shadow weapons on friend and foe was: _I’m so glad Loreli got sick._ Even as he heard her sing.

“They say I'm trouble. They say I'm bad. They say I'm evil and that makes me glad.”

.~*~.

Emery was waiting when the airship landed.

 

_“Hello, Zeref. It’s Emery.”_

_There was a pause where she knew he was trying to figure out who she was and how she had his private number._

_“Lucy’s cousin, right?”_

_“Yeah.”_

_“Are you looking for Dad or Natsu?”_

_“No. I called for you.”_

_The was another pause. “Is Lucy all right? If something happens-”_

_“I know,” Emery interjected. “It’s complicated and I’d appreciate if you didn’t tell Natsu or Igneel. Things are difficult enough without them as it is.”_

_“I understand. Slightly. What are you calling for?”_

_“I know that Brandish Myu works for you. I thought that I’d have more time for her to get her affairs in order, but I don’t. I need you to send her to Bosco.”_

_“She’d mentioned needing to take some time, but she didn’t make it sound urgent.”_

_“She never does,” Emery said and Zeref chuckled drily. “I need her here. Yesterday. And I can’t promise that you’ll get her back.”_

_There was silence and Emery was worried._

_“Is Lucy’s life at risk?”_

_Emery made a pained sound at the back of her throat. “Yes.”_

_“Then she’ll be on the next air ship.”_

_Emery sank onto the bench of the booth. “Thank you.”_

_She could almost hear him shrug. “It’s for Lucy. And if I didn’t, Natsu would kill me.”_

_She chuckled as she leaned against the wall. “Thank you. Good bye.”_

_“Good bye. And good luck.”_

 

Brandish walked into the airport. She wore short-shorts and a cut-off top even though airships were always freezing. Her short green hair had been pulled into a messy ponytail.

“Hey,” Emery said when she saw her.

“Hey.” Brandish looked over Emery with bored disdain but followed her as Emery headed out to the car. “What is so important that you went to the emperor-elect to get me here?” she asked as soon as they were in the relative privacy despite still being in the parking garage.

“Do you know what archangels are?”

“Nope.”

Emery gripped the steering wheel and didn’t look at the other woman. “It’s an ancient magic. Powerful. Nearly extinct. Lucy is mated to two archangels, and it’s burning her up.”

“And this involves me how?”

Emery looked over at her. “I know that you don’t have any contracts but biologically, you are a celestial mage. I need you to challenge Lucy for one of her mates. Only a celestial mage can.”

“Why can’t you? Or is this one of those Heartfilia-Cuore things?”

“Something like that.”

“Does she know I’m here?”

“No. But you were pretty much the only person I could think of to ask. That I trusted.” Emery paused, chewing her lip for a second. “Are you okay doing this now?”

A flicker of surprise crossed Brandish’s normally blasé expression. “Now? As in we drive straight to her?”

“Yeah. I’m afraid she’ll do something drastic if she realizes you’re here and guesses why.”

Brandish shrugged. “Let’s go. Do you at least have pictures of these men?”

Emery typed out a quick message before passing her phone over and driving out of the parking garage.

“Damn,” Brandish said appreciatively. “She’s not even cute. How did she get them both?”

Emery snorted but didn’t comment. That had been Brandish’s go-to insult since they hit puberty.

 

Kaleb beat Emery and Brandish to the underground training arena though Lucy didn’t bat an eye at his presence. Cristoff was there as well. It had been from his bed that Emery had grudgingly risen from to pick Brandish up.

“Do sexy men grow on trees? It hasn’t been _that_ long since I was in Bosco,” Brandish said, noticeably ogling Cristoff.

“Four years. And that one’s mine so hands off unless you want to lose one.”

Emery was surprised that Brandish’s gaze was almost dismissive as it passed over Kaleb and zeroed in on Zen. She went over to stand by the dragon slayer while the green haired mage walked forward.

“Brandi?” Lucy said when she realized they’d entered.

Uncertain of what would happen, Kaleb told everyone telepathically to leave.

“Lucy Heartfilia, I challenge you for your mate, Zen Pradesh.”

 

_“Are you sure that’s the best idea?” Zen asked._

_“No. Of course, I’m not. But I don’t have any better ones,” Emery said. She was in Kaleb’s office with the two archangels. “I can’t challenge her for you. There’s really only one other celestial mage that I trust- That I’d trust one of you with.”_

_The two men, both in love with Lucy, grimaced._

_“Wait. Wait until we know there’s no other options,” Kaleb said finally._

_Emery nodded._

_Kaleb was rushing into the infirmary room._ Make the call, _he told Emery as he passed her._

Zen dropped to his knees with a blank look on his face.

Brandish, in her fighting-bores-me fashion, proceeded to shrink Lucy down to a foot tall and punt her a few feet. Emery cringed watching Brandish.

“Should’ve seen that coming,” Emery murmured to Cristoff.

“Do you yield?” Brandish asked but Lucy forced herself up. This happened two more times before Lucy yielded and Brandish returned her to normal size.

There was a surge of magic that forced Emery to take a step back. Cristoff headed to Lucy while Brandish and Zen headed into the on-site infirmary that had been prepared ahead of time for them.

However, Emery’s gaze was on Kaleb. They’d been so focused on Zen that none of them noticed that he’d dropped to his knees as well. The blank look was fading, and Kaleb was rising and moving towards Emery.

“Shit. Andromeda!”

The spirit quickly appeared took one look at the scene before trussing Kaleb up in magic canceling ropes.

“What happened?” Kaleb asked.

“Uh…”

Cristoff ran over once Lucy was stable. His eyes bounced between his brother and lover.

Before Cristoff could say anything, Emery asked, “How is she?”

“Healed but I’m going to keep her asleep for a few days. What happened?”

Emery took a deep breath. “Good. That’s good. So uh… The challenge seems to have broken both mating bonds.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Citation: "Rotten to the Core" from Descendants.


End file.
